Weekend Reading: Office 2010 Debuts – and Much More

Movie studios release star-studded films…  Carmakers the newest model…  For us, of course, the big news often is around the release of new software.  So that made this past week important.  On Wednesday we released Microsoft Office 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010 to our business customers.

These releases represent big advances in these products, with features that aid collaboration and boost productivity.  It was great to see big customers already talking about ways Office 2010 is helping their businesses, as several of them joined Stephen Elop, president of our Business Division, during his keynote.  And it was great to see a report from the Forrester group outlining how enterprise customers overwhelmingly prefer Office and Office Web Apps over Google Apps and other alternatives.

Office 2010 rolls out for consumers in a month – look for it then!

Along with the Office 2010 release, this week we also debuted new versions of Project 2010 and Visio 2010. The new releases now share with other Office products the “ribbon” that really adds ease of use, and have plenty of other enhancements as well. People who rely on these products are going to love what they see.

In other news this week:

  • We saw our new KIN phones hit the market through Verizon Wireless. These phones are a lot of fun – they make it easier than ever to stay connected with friends, share photos and updates, and listen to music or watch video through the Zune interface. They’re also an indication of some of our new thinking about wireless phones, which we’ll see more of later this year with the release of Windows Phone 7.
  • We’re looking forward to another big event in June when we talk more about Natal, our terrific Xbox 360 add-on, at the upcoming E3 conference. Microsoft has commissioned a special event for Natal featuring the famed Cirque du Soleil performing group – and it will be broadcast on MTV.  Should be a great way to show Natal’s mind-bending capabilities.
  • And the hits keep coming. We’ve had in the works for some time a fascinating game called Alan Wake, which takes Xbox 360 players into a world of mystery and suspense, with incredible graphics and lots of action. The reviews are starting to roll in, and the game will be available next week.
  • Lastly, I want to point out a great profile of Microsoft employee Erin Chapple. Written by ZDnet’s Mary Jo Foley, it’s a look at a woman who brings great energy and passion to the company.

 

Have a terrific weekend, everyone!

Posted By Mark Murray
General Manager, Corporate Communications

Tags: ,