Microsoft completes Office 2007

Microsoft on Monday said that its upcoming 2007 version of Microsoft Office has gone "gold," a designation that marks the productivity software code's release to manufacturing (RTM).

After months of sliding deadlines and revised release dates, the completion of the Office code is a cause for merriment at Microsoft and perhaps to a fair number of customers��"450 million people worldwide use Office, and Office 2007 beta was downloaded 3.5 million times.

Microsoft says it has sent the software package code to be mass produced, known as the release to manufacturing (RTM) process.

According to Microsoft, this marks a "critical step" in confirming the availability of the product to businesses by 30 November, barely meeting the previously announced November release date.

Microsoft also said general availability for consumers will follow in "early 2007".