Download Office 2007 Beta 2 to ensure you are ready when Office 2007 ships later next year.

According to Jensen Harris, the Office 2007 User Interface has been updated and can be previewed by visiting the Office 2007 UI Preview Site. One of the nice things is the introduction of the Office Button. I feel that this will help make troubleshooting problems much easier. The new interface also showcases the ability to customize the look and feel of Office 2007 by way of themes and perhaps most significant in this update is the overall face lift given to the Contextual Tabs. Jensen Harris’ blog is a great read for anyone interested in usability studies and the design choices made in Office 2007.

Microsoft has officially announced the upcoming Microsoft Office 2007 system. The product is currently in beta and is code-named Microsoft Office 12.

Related Links:

2007 Microsoft Office Release

Microsoft has just launched Office Live. Although, the rumors of Office Live made it seem like Microsoft was ready to launch a web based office suite to take on products such as Writely, the current beta is definitely not a web based office suite.

Microsoft Office Live is some of the following:

• Easy-to-use Web site design tool
• Free domain name and hosting
• 5 personalized e-mail accounts
• Storage and data transfer
• Web site traffic analysis and reporting tools

If the above feature set integrates nicely with AdCenter and Custom Domains I think Microsoft will have a very attractive product for end clients and eventually a new market for advertising revenue.