An internal memo obtained by
WinFuture.de from Microsoft’s internal intranet last week confirmed
what many in the industry long suspected: Microsoft Office 2016 will be
released in September, on the 3rd Tuesday of the month.
While Microsoft have yet to
officially comment on the validity of the date in question, employees are
apparently now using the final version of Office internally, signalling that
the Windows version is now ready for release.
The initial release on September 22
for Windows is expected to be for Professional and Home users only.
Preview builds have shown that
Office 2016 is an evolution rather than a revolution, with what seems like mostly incremental and graphical
improvements: The colorful bars from the mobile versions of Office
are now also part of the desktop version. Yay! The most notable
change to Office 2016 is the more universal feel it brings across all the major
existing systems. Office 2016 has been intentionally crafted with touch screen users, and cloud storage accessible files across multiple
devices. Office 2016 has been available to anyone with an existing Office
365 subscription plan for several weeks now so there are unlikely to be any new
surprises in the final version when it becomes official.
One of the leaked images of Office
2016, from WinFuture.de
With Windows 10 mobile also
launching soon, a plethora of innovative Windows phones, and a new Surface Pro
to boot as well, it will come as no surprise to see Office 2016 launch before
the new devices enter the market.
There has been precious little if
anything from Microsoft related to pricing announcements in the run up to
Office 2016, but industry insiders expect there to be no difference in price
for 365 subscribers, and can also expect a similar price point as the Office
versions already available in the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft is currently riding high
after the phenomenal success of the Windows 10 launch at the end of July. In
little over a month, Windows 10 was installed 75 million times across the
globe, and has been received very positively.
Hopes are now high in Microsoft that
some of that positive attention will rub off when Office 2016 gets its official
release later this month.