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James E-Smith MyBroadband | 03 December, 2009

Microsoft SA discusses Office 2010 launch date, local update servers and Office 2010 Starter Package
Albie Bester, Information Worker Lead at Microsoft SA, has confirmed that the Microsoft Office 2010 suite will be available in June 2010 for the South African PC market.  An specific date for the launch of the product is yet to be confirmed, due to the logistics surrounding the finalising and shipping of the product. No pricing information on the products is available as of yet.
Bester also confirmed that this means the Office 2010 Starter package will be available to OEMs in June, and the Office 2010 Web Apps will be live. Bester could not confirm that Office Mobile 2010 would be ready by June, but said “for now, we assume it will be.�
Bester said that Microsoft SA is pushing to bring Microsoft Online Services to the country within 9 to 12 months. When it came to the ‘Click-to-Run’ Office update service, Bester said: “We are still working on local servers, and may have news closer to the availability of the Office suite. We are pushing hard for this because we want to serve our region.�
Office 2010 Starter
Bester explained that the free Office 2010 Starter will only be available on OEM machines. Multinational OEM PCs are likely to be the first to arrive, but Microsoft SA will be driving to get local OEMs onboard. The Starter package replaces the Works and Trial versions of Office 2007, and will be free to use, although advert supported.
Discussing the way in which adverts will be delivered to the user, Bester said: “A lot of technical details are still being worked out. So far we understand that you won’t need to be online to use the package. When you log on to the Internet, it will grab some new adverts. [Fetching the advert] should only use a minuscule amount of bandwidth. At this point we understand that there will be no mechanism to continually force users to go online in order to use the software.�
Those who wish to upgrade to a full version of the suite can purchase a license key from a retailer, or via the Web, as all of the necessary files will have been imaged to system. “Pricing is still being worked on, but we hope to negotiate some favourable deals,� said Bester.
Office 2010 advantages
Speaking of the advantages of Office 2010 over the Office 2007 version, Bester cited a number of improvements. “The tight integration of the products allows me to access and edit documents through a phone, web browser and PC. This enhances the productivity options for those away from their office.�
“Office Live workspaces [and SharePoint] are a great way for small businesses and social groups to collaborate on projects. There are also numerous interface improvements, such as an improved search function,� Bester concluded.
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