Microsoft delays release of Office business software

SEATTLE — Microsoft Corp. on Thursday postponed the release of its next-generation Office business software suite, citing “product performance” issues.

In a statement released by the company’s Waggener Edstrom public relations firm, Microsoft said it now plans to release the product to big business customers by the end of the year, instead of in October as planned.

Consumers and other business users are now scheduled to get the product in early 2007. Microsoft had previously said it would be broadly available in January, to coincide with the delayed release of Microsoft’s Windows Vista computer operating system.

Microsoft has made early versions, or betas, of Office 2007 available for technical experts to download and test. In the statement, Redmond-based Microsoft said the delay was due to “internal testing and the beta 2 feedback around product performance.”

The release of the next version of Office, which includes popular programs like Outlook, Excel and Word, is important for Microsoft because, despite its expansion into myriad other fields, the company still depends on Office and Windows for the bulk of its profits.