Microsoft Office 16 set to launch late next year

The next version of Microsoft Office for Windows, Office 16, is scheduled for release in the second half of 2015, it has been confirmed.

Julia White, GM of Office and Office 365 marketing, told delegates at Microsoft's TechEd Europe that both the cilent and server versions would be made available at the same time, according to ZD Net's Mary Jo Foley.

If White's tentative schedule holds firm, this would put Office 16, as it's currently known, firmly into the far end of Microsoft's two-to-three year release schedule, with Office 2013 having been released in October 2012.

It's worth noting that the software due to launch in autumn-winter 2015 is only expected to be for "traditional" Windows desktop and laptop computers. According to Foley, touch-first Office apps for Windows don't even appear to be in testing yet.

That doesn't mean we won't see any touch-centric Office products before the end of the year, though.

Office for Android tablet is expected to launch in the next few weeks, eight months after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed the company was working on software for Google's mobile platform. There's no official word yet on whether or not this will be the case, however.

Also expected before Office 16 for Windows, is a new version of Office for Mac. Pictures of what claimed to be the updated Outlook client for Mac surfaced online on Monday on Chinese website CN Beta, and, according to MacRumours, the software could be released as early as spring next year.

This article originally appeared at pcpro.co.uk