Office interface to be revamped

Productivity suite gets a boosting

Microsoft has unveiled a new-look user interface for its forthcoming Office 12 productivity suite. The firm also announced a Vista preview programme, to get more customers and partners involved in developing the next-generation Windows.

The next version of Office, set to ship in the second half of 2006, will feature a redesigned interface aimed at boosting users' productivity, according to the firm.

Corporate vice-president Chris Capossela demonstrated early versions of the forthcoming Office applications at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles.

Among the key enhancements to the interface will be live previews of the formatting options that are available to customers, allowing them to see what the effect will be before choosing the one they require. PowerPoint, for example, will have galleries of effects with which users can easily convert the text from bulleted slides into graphics. "It's about helping people get better results faster," Capossela said.

The new interface will make it easier for people to find and use product features, while maximising the workspace available. Microsoft also said that it is working on features to support better collaboration, workflow and document management processes within large organisations.

A beta release of Office 12 is expected before the end of this year.

Also at the conference, Microsoft announced the first build of Windows Vista (the next major version of Windows, previously called Longhorn) for its Community Technology Preview (CTP) programme.

The firm intends to release new builds on a monthly basis to Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet subscribers as part of the scheme.

The new Vista build was described by Microsoft's group vice-president Jim Allchin as an intermediate step between the beta 1 released in July, and the beta 2 expected early in 2006.

Microsoft said feedback from the CTP programme should help firms ensure a speedy and trouble-free rollout of Windows Vista when it is released in late 2006.

"We're trying to write better code and get it better tested," Allchin said.