Microsoft confirms that Office 14 will be available in a 64-bit version

Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed that the next version of Office 2007, code-named Office 14, will come in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

The 64-bit version is a first for both Office and for Microsoft's mainstream desktop applications, though a number of its server products, such as SQL Server, are already available in 64-bit versions.

Office 14, which is expected to be called Office 2010, is slated to ship next year. Among its other notable features is the fact that Microsoft will offer browser-based versions of Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and OneNote, in addition to the traditional Windows-based desktop programs.

By extending the browser support to Firefox and Safari, in addition to Internet Explorer, Microsoft has said it will have the effect of also bringing Office to the iPhone and to Linux-based computers for the first time.

The existence of the 32-bit and 64-bit versions was noted on Tuesday by Ars Technica and in March by ZDNet blogger Ed Bott.

Software designed for a 32-bit processor can still run on a 64-bit machine, but likely, the 64-bit version of Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 will have some performance advantages over its 32-bit sibling when running on a 64-bit machine.

Computers with 64-bit processors have been shipping for years, but it is only in the last year or so that most new PCs have started to be sold with a 64-bit operating system--required for running a 64-bit application.

While most desktop applications still run only in 32-bit mode, the server side has switched over more quickly. Some of Microsoft's server products, such as Exchange 2007 the upcoming Windows Server 2008 R2, come only in the 64-bit variety.

The big selling point of 64-bit software is its ability to directly accommodate more than 4GB of physical memory.

Microsoft plans to open Office to other file formats

Describing this as a step to foster greater transparency, Microsoft intends to document how it incorporated Open Document Format support into Office 2007 Service Pack 2, which is still in beta. That product is expected to ship sometime in the first half of 2009.

(You can read the notes on how each element of the specification was implemented at the Document Interoperability Initiative Web site.)

Tuesday's announcement concludes a pledge Microsoft originally made last spring to boost support for rival formats in Office.

For years, IT has struggled with how best to maintain the flow of data across heterogeneous environments without incurring data loss. Monoculture or no, customers often want to save documents in a variety of formats.
This has not always worked to Microsoft's advantage. In fact, last year, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency filed a complaint with the European Commission in which it alleged that Office 2007 would impede educational initiatives because it failed to natively support open standards, in particular, ODF.

Doug Mahugh, a project manager at Microsoft who deals with interoperability issues connected with the Office software suite, described the steps taken today within the broader context of disclosure, transparency, and format support.

"To get there, we found that it was not just sufficient to conform to a standard. We needed transparency about all the design decisions involved in getting to that standard...it was a way of pulling together lot of the things we were doing in interoperability."

Rightly or not, the perception was that Microsoft Office did not treat ODF as first class citizen.

"That kind of feedback is why we built ODF support into SP 2," Mahugh said.

He added that in coming months, Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 will publish implementation notes for Open XML with the same kind of information.

'microsoft' stated this relocate to preserve and revise Office environment documents within the format from the adversary's

The latest program by means of Microsoft to permit their Office 2007 program to avoid wasting and also revise data in a very competitor file format is going to confront a probe through the Western Percentage.
A Fee reported later Thursday that it's going to research whether Microsoft's determination to incorporate aid for that Wide open Record File format to help Office environment will lead to better purchaser option.

Windows go, in addition announced Friday, can be regarded as the concession for you to authorities focused on rivalry and to buyers, generally governing bodies, worried about products lock-in.

"The Fee can take a look at whether the reported support of Available File Format at work triggers better interoperability and also lets people to approach as well as trade their own documents while using computer software products of their total preference,In the commission reported within a report described by Dow Williams.

Your Microsoft Office Professional 2007 product supervisor instructed CNET Reports.web with Friday which the firm intentions to talk about it has the transfer while using the Percentage. "We possess regular debate together with the EC, so we is going to absolutely employ a conversation along with them regarding these kind of methods and have what ever reviews they may enhance them,In . said He Robertson, gm regarding Interoperability in addition to Benchmarks at Ms.

Beginning sometime in the first 1 / 2 next year, Office 2007 will certainly assist ODF to be a local data format next to Microsoft's private Business office Open XML. Buyers should be able to pick one or the other since the standard structure.

For around 2 yrs, Ms has produced accessible translators that allow Company talk with ODF papers. The firm intentions to continue doing that will for mature types involving Business office. Support to get ODF, together with the Lightweight File Format as well as XML Cardstock Requirements, will be already a part of another edition of Place of work, computer code named Office 15.

Ms said the actual shift to spend less as well as edit Workplace data files within the format with the opponents

The latest approach simply by Microsof company to permit it is Office 2007 software program to save in addition to change files in a very take on structure may encounter any probe through the Euro Commission payment.

A Payment said later Wed that it's going to research whether or not Windows decision to add help for the Open up Report Arrangement so that you can Business office can result in higher client selection.

Windows switch, likewise reported Sunday, is seen as any concession to be able to authorities concerned about competitiveness and also to clients, primarily authorities, focused on solution lock-in.

"The Percentage is going to research if the released help involving Available Report Arrangement in Office results in improved interoperability and also makes it possible for consumers to course of action and trade their docs while using the software package products with their choice," your commission payment reported in a declaration documented by simply Dow Johnson.

Some sort of Microsoft Office Professional 2007 item office manager instructed CNET News.net about Wednesday the fact that company offers focus on it's switch together with the Fee. "We have got on-going dialogue while using EC, so we is going to definitely use a dialogue with them concerning these kind of techniques and obtain anything suggestions they may dress in the idea,Inches stated Jeff Robertson, gm associated with Interoperability and also Expectations during 'microsoft'.

Starting sometime in the very first 1 / 2 the coming year, Office 2007 is going to aid ODF to be a ancient data format together with Windows individual Business office Open up XML. Prospects will find one or even the different as the standard file format.

For around a couple of years, Master of science renders readily available linguists that permit Office environment work with ODF paperwork. The firm offers keep doing in which for more mature variations connected with Place of work. Aid intended for ODF, together with the Mobile Record Arrangement and also the XML Cardstock Spec, will be constructed into the subsequent version of Place of work, value titled Office 14.

New messaging service does a lot of things, including native support for Microsoft's Office document formats

Confirmation arrived this morning for earlier reports of Microsoft office 2007 Web apps product being integrated into Facebook's new in-box product.

At Facebook's San Francisco press event this morning about the overhaul of its messaging service, the company detailed how users can now view and share attachments on the service. Included on that list is Microsoft's Office Web Apps service, which means Facebook users will be able to open up Word, Excel, and PowerPoint attachments without having to have Microsoft's software installed locally.

The "view on Office.com" feature appears below each file attachment as an option, and opens up documents within Microsoft's Office Web App viewer in a new browser tab. Presumably more partnered services will be added to this list as time goes by, but for now this is the only option on these file types.

Last week, Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 pushed out support of its Docs.com service within Facebook's recently introduced Groups feature, adding sharing for MS Office docs and PDF files within groups.

Facebook began rolling out its new messaging system to select users and members of the press earlier this morning, and intends to bring it to the rest of its users over the next few months.

Microsoft Office file formats standardized form of exhibition

As a member of the Geneva, Switzerland-based Ecma organization, IBM can participate in the committee, called Ecma 45, which is creating an internationally recognized standard from the XML-based document formats used in the forthcoming Microsoft Office 12 product. Microsoft office 2007 submitted the 1,900-page Office Open XML specification to Ecma last week.

But IBM has decided sit on the sidelines, at least for now, according to Bob Sutor, IBM's vice president of standards and open source.

"We think there are just too many open switches on this right now for us to go in and do something there. Given the charter, it's not clear what anyone other than Microsoft is going to be doing on this committee," Sutor said on Tuesday.

IBM is a big supporter of OpenDocument and intends to have that document format as the default in its forthcoming Workplace products.

Sutor said Microsoft was trying to have its document formats "rubber-stamped" as standards by Ecma. He said it doesn't appear that the committee, which has Microsoft representatives as co-chairs, can be influenced by companies other than Microsoft.

A Microsoft representative was not available for comment Tuesday. The company posted an FAQ about Ecma and the standardization process last week.

Sutor said that within the next year or two the committee should consider a "convergence path" between the Office Open XML document formats and OpenDocument, another set of standards for creating and storing documents.

"We want to see flexibility. We'd like to see some convergence path.
Fundamentally, Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 has to be community-driven thing and we don't see that now," he said.

The latest version of Sun's cut-rate productivity suite can also read--but not write--to the latest Office file formats

The software, a distant rival to Microsoft's dominant Office 2007 package, sells for $35 to individuals and $25 for each user inside a business.

StarOffice 9 is open-source and its code is shared with OpenOffice.org 3.0, which was released last month.

In addition to adding the Apple support, StarOffice 9 can also read the Open XML file formats that Microsoft introduced with Office 2007, but StarOffice cannot write files back into those formats.

Sun may add that ability if the market requires or requests it, said StarOffice product manager Iyer Venkatesan, but there are no immediate plans to add the feature, he said.

Other file formats supported include the Open Document Format as well as PDFs, which can be read and edited.

The launch of StarOffice comes even as the company prepares to shed thousands of jobs as part of a new wave of cost-cutting. StarOffice also faces increasing competition at the low endof the productivity market with a range of products, including Google Docs, ThinkFree Office, free and low-cost versions of Microsoft Works as well as forthcoming Web-based versions of Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007.

A study, released on Friday, found Microsoft Word was used by about half of all Internet users, while about 5 percent used OpenOffice. The study, by ClickStream Technologies, found about 1 percent used Google Docs.