Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition

Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition available today; will ship with new Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition

Microsoft Corp.’s Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) today shared details about the next version of Microsoft Office for Mac, announcing that a new application, Outlook for Mac, will replace Entourage for Mac. MacBU is providing this early information to meet the planning needs of enterprise customers. For current Entourage users, Microsoft Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition is available today, providing performance and reliability improvements and enabling users to sync Tasks, Notes and Categories. These updates demonstrate the team’s commitment to meet Mac users’ productivity needs and to improve the overall Office experience. MacBU also announced a simplified SKU lineup to help make product selection more intuitive for customers. The new lineup introduces Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition in addition to the current offering of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition.

Introducing Business Edition — Choose the Right Office for You
Based on customer and partner feedback, the MacBU identified the need for a refreshed product line, and the new Office 2008 for Mac lineup ensures that customers can choose the right product to fit their needs at the right price. The lineup now includes two Office 2008 editions: Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition (currently on store shelves), and the new Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition.

The new Office 2008 Business Edition features a powerful suite of tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage, in addition to new features designed to help users manage their business, organize their data and present a professional image. In addition, Exchange Server support and reliable compatibility with Windows-based Office software takes collaboration and productivity to the next level. New features in Office 2008 Business Edition include these:

• Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition. Improves performance, brings new features and support for the latest version of Exchange Server
• Microsoft Document Connection for Mac. Helps improve access and browsing to documents on SharePoint Products and Technologies and Microsoft Office Live Workspace
• New art. More than 200 business-related templates and professional clip art
• lynda.com training.Training for beginning to advanced users by lynda.com Inc.

Availability and Pricing
Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition will launch on Sept. 15, 2009, and will be available for pre-order on Aug. 18 for the estimated retail price of $399.95 (U.S.) and $239.95 (U.S.) for customers eligible for Version Upgrade. Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition is currently available for the estimated retail price of $149.95 (U.S.) for the full retail version. The free Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition, can be downloaded.

About Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit
The Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) at Microsoft is a leading developer of software and online products for the Macintosh platform. The group is composed of Mac product experts dedicated to creating innovative software for Mac customers worldwide. For 25 years, Microsoft has developed award-winning software for the Mac. In January 2008, the MacBU released Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, a productivity suite that includes the e-mail application and personal information manager Entourage 2008, Word 2008, Excel 2008, PowerPoint 2008 and Messenger for Mac 7.0.