Microsoft adds Ultimate edition of Office

Ultimate is becoming a popular word in Redmond.

After already announcing plans for an Ultimate edition of Windows Vista, Microsoft confirmed this week that it also plans an Ultimate edition of Office 2007.

The new retail package, which was not part of the Office 2007 lineup announced back in February, will offer nearly all the components available to large businesses in one $679 product. A Microsoft representative said on Thursday that the new entrant in the lineup was "created as a result of customer feedback," but didn't offer more details on its origins.

Office Ultimate is similar to the enterprise edition that is available only to large businesses, and includes standards like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with Publisher, the OneNote note-taking software, the Groove collaboration suite, Access database and InfoPath forms software. Microsoft did not announce pricing for the enterprise edition, since it is only available for volume licensing customers.

Microsoft has been looking to higher-end versions of both Windows and Office as a way to help grow its two core businesses, which already have dominant shares of their respective markets. CEO Steve Ballmer first noted that such products were on the way back at a financial analysts' meeting in July 2005.

With Vista, Microsoft is adding an Ultimate edition that pairs the best of its business and consumer features. The company is also planning a concerted effort to pitch the Home Premium version over the lower-end Home Basic edition.

The Ultimate Edition was mentioned in a slide in Chairman Bill Gates' keynote speech on Tuesday at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference and noted by Windows enthusiast site Bink.nu.

[CaptainMooseInc]

I can't wait...

for Microsoft Vista Business Super Corporate Ultra Rare Extravaganza Bold Special Super Secret Release Edition!

That one's gonna be the shiznit...

Yeah, didn't you hear? In that edition you get to change the color of the taskbar. That'll be an extra $250 please.

[firstlast]

Where?

I'm definitely buying this one! Sounds good, more expensive = better!
---
Pixel image editor - http://www.kanzelsberger.com

[firstlast]

Where?

I'm definitely buying this one! Sounds good, more expensive = better! Where can I get it? And I hope it's going to open OpenOffice files for that money...
---
Pixel image editor - http://www.kanzelsberger.com

[Daler]

Ultimately.......

it will suck.

[J.G.]

Yet another edition

People already make fun of Microsoft's long name, multiple edition
fetishes. Will Microsoft be the last to find that out?

[anassassinoftime]

Remind me again...

...How many versions of Mac OS X are there?

Ah, but Windows sells a lot more, so I guess they are the true
paradigm. Still, one of the reasons Mac lovers love their Mac is
because of the relative simplicity. Maybe Windows users would
actually start to LIKE the Windows OS if Microsoft would copy yet
another page from Apple's book and simplify their product
offerings. In reality, all you really need is a client version and a
server version.

[imacpwr]

"Ultimate" = Office 2007 is the final version..!!

Quote: "Microsoft confirmed this week that it also plans an
Ultimate edition of Office 2007."
Didn't they make that claim with every other version of Office?

From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:
Medieval Latin ultimatus last, final, from Late Latin, past
participle of ultimare to come to an end, be last, from Latin
ultimus farthest, last, final, superlative of (assumed) Latin ulter
situated beyond

So that's it.. NO MORE OFFICE after version 2007..!! Remember,
you heard it here first on CNET's TalkBack.

[KTLA_knew]

Think often?

"ultimate" is an adjective that applies to the EDITION, not to the suite. It's the last, final, etc. EDITION, out of all the editions of Office 2007.

It's sad that in the time you took to write your post, that never occurred to you.

Can't wait for the response of "Oh, uh, sure I knew that. I, um, just thought it'd be funny to look dumb."

[rcrusoe]

"Ultimate Edition" rewites the rules

Sound like the old rule "90% of MS Office users do not use 90% of
its features" will no longer be true after the release of Ultimate
Edition".

It will have to change to read "95% of MS Office users do not use
95% of its features".

[technewsjunkie]

Does it come with a cheeseburger?

I'm sorry, did I read that correctly? Did it say
$675 DOLLARS?!

Open Source. Google web app.s. Open Office.

[KTLA_knew]

Funny.

Yeah. Throw those words out there. It'll magically make them a replacement for Office.

[DryHeatDave]

It could be worse

I need my company to buy me a specific Websphere MQ development & testing application - $9,000 for a single processor licence.

Even getting a copy of XMLSPY Enterprise Edition costs $999 - but it IS a cool tool.

Even a real modest basic product tool like MQ Visual Edit starts at $99.

For anyone who doesn't work in the Enterprise world, there's a whole 'nother level of software pricing going on. Just as going from "home" to "Professional" versions adds a zero, going from "professional" to "Enterprise" versions adds (at least) 1 more zero to the price.

[jdscardino]

I understand totally..

.. but what I don't get is why, especially in Enterprise, mangers feel the need to have their IT staff go and upgrade everything as soon as something new comes out.

Seems companies only release these new versions to keep sales and revenue going. I work in Enterprise, and I know FOR A FACT that 90% of the work staff that uses Office 2003 understand and use all the functionalities that the programs offer. I didn't understand why we even upgraded from Office XP. It's basically the same software, different bells and whistles.

If anything, you'd think - with all the many expenses facing the enterprise environment - managers would be a little less willing to jump out of their seats and upgrade their liscences.

OS-es and the machines themsevles are one thing - you want the fastest, most secure, most efficient technology - but office productivity suites that haven't offered much of a change since 97? Can't wrap my head around it.