Microsoft isn’t only hard at work on Windows 8 and the PC version of Kinect, as the company has revealed that an important development milestone for the next version of its Office productivity suite has been reached. The Redmond-based company announced the beginning of the Office 15 technical preview program.

Office 15 is the codename for the next generation of the Microsoft Office products and services, and this technical preview marks the first time that the software giant shares information about the product with a select group of customers under non-disclosure agreements. Microsoft said that these customers play a key role in its development process by testing early builds and providing feedback, which it will then incorporate into the final release.

Speaking about Office 15 PJ Hough, CVP of development at Microsoft’s Office Division
stated: “At this early point in our development cycle, I'm not able to share too much about Office 15, but I can tell you Office 15 is the most ambitious undertaking yet for the Office Division.”

Hough said that the company will for the first time be simultaneously updating its cloud services, servers, as well as its mobile and PC clients for Office, Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, Project and Visio. “Quite simply, Office 15 will help people work, collaborate, and communicate smarter and faster than ever before,” he elaborated.    

According to Microsoft this technical preview program is already full, but the general public will have the chance to test out Office 15 later this summer (winter for us) when the public beta becomes available. Hough added that the company will also be sharing more info around the new suite at that time.

 

In related news Microsoft also recently bid farewell to the Consumer Electronics Show with its last keynote at the event.