Microsoft News: Office 2010, SharePoint 2010 Released to Manufacturing

Microsoft News: Microsoft was expected to release to manufacturing both Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 some time in April. Business users will be able to get their hands on those products on May 12. Consumers will have to wait until June to buy the product online and at retail, Microsoft officials said a few weeks ago.

According to the company, more than 7.5 million people have downloaded the beta of the “2010 set of products” for the PC, mobile phone and browser. That’s more than three times the number of individuals who tested Office 2007, company officials said in a post to the Office 2010 Engineering blog.

MSDN and TechNet subscribers will be able to download the final bits starting April 22, company officials said.

Volume licensees with Software Assurance for these products will be able to download them in English from the Volume Licensing Service Center on April 27. Customers without SA will be able to get these products through the VLSC starting May 1.

The launch of Office 2010 is on May 12 in New York City. Virtual launch events also kick off that day. Office 2010 will be available in retail stores in June in the U.S.

Previously, Microsoft has released the selling price of Office 2010, which introduced a new product key card (PKC) which end-users can purchase to activate and unlock preferred version of Office 2010 installed on OEM computer. With Office 2010, OEM will pre-load a new Office image that includes all three versions of Office 2010 available for retail purchase, which are Home and Student edition, which will include licenses for use on up to three PCs, as well as the Home and Business and the Professionals editions, which will include licenses for use on one desktop PC and one portable PC used by the same user. In addition, there is also Office Starter 2010 which comes free forever.

By the launch of Office 2010, there will also be an “Office Anytime Upgrade” or “Office Upgrade Anywhere” program, similar to Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade where customers can upgrade the Office 2010 Home and Student edition or the Office 2010 Home and Business Edition to higher and more premium edition, such as Office 2010 Professional by paying additional amount of money.

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