Office 2003 Released to Manufacturing

After ten months in beta testing, including a last-minute Beta 2 refresh, the final Office 2003 code has been released to manufacturing. Microsoft says that more than 600,000 beta testers took part in the development effort - one of the largest in company history.


"The release to manufacturers of the Microsoft Office System is a milestone, not only in terms of the unprecedented development and testing work that went into it, but also because it enables customers to piece together data and operational aspects of their business where the real work happens: at individuals' desktops," said Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of Microsoft's Information Worker Group.

Microsoft will ship Office System to volume licensees and OEMs by the end of September, with a retail launch slated for October 21. A gala event in New York will be held to kick off the new Office suite.

"We wish to extend a hearty thank you for your participation in the pre-release program," Office beta coordinators wrote in an e-mail to testers. "You helped make Office 2003 Editions, FrontPage 2003, OneNote 2003, Visio 2003, Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager, SharePoint Portal Server 2003, and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services GREAT!"



As a way of thanking beta testers, Microsoft will send out a gift package by October.

Pricing for Office 2003 remains unchanged from Office XP. The full versions of the suite will run $399 USD for Standard Edition, $449 USD for Small Business Edition and $499 for Office 2003 Professional.


A Student and Teacher Edition, which can be activated on up to three computers and used in any household with a student or teacher, will be available for $149.

Office newcomers InfoPath and OneNote will each retail for $199, although a $100 mail-in rebate is available to OneNote customers. Visio 2003 pricing is set at $199 for Standard and $499 for Professional.

Microsoft has posted detailed pricing information to its Office 2003 preview Web site, as well as comparisons between the different Office editions.

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