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Microsoft announced earlier today that it will delay, yet again, the release of Office 2007. This occurred as a result of "product performance" issues, according to the software giant. The Office delay may affect the launch of Windows Vista.

There's no word on precisely how long Office 2007 will be held back; Microsoft said in a statement that "feedback on quality and performance will ultimately determine the exact dates." It described the delay as a result of "internal testing and the beta 2 feedback," according to an Associated Press article on CNN.

Office is probably facing a release date of February at the earliest, instead of the January target. And since Vista was also intended to launch in January, there is a question of how it may be affected by the delay.

On the one hand, this development has some positive implications - Microsoft is trying to get everything "just right" before unleashing its latest products on the world. But in some respects, this is also plainly bad for business. Vista, and the new version of Office, will remain unavailable to the holiday shopping crowds. There is also a risk that the incessant delays may undermine consumer confidence.

Microsoft has not changed its plans for the Windows Vista beta and the beta 2 version of Office. And surprisingly, the company's stock does not seem to have been affected by the news (not yet, anyway).

I hope no one has been holding his or her breath for the Office 2007 release. It might not be wise to do that for Vista, either.

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Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.