Office 2007 stumbles before the finish line

Launch hit by more delays

Microsoft has further delayed the launch of its forthcoming Office 2007 productivity suite. 

Citing "performance issues", the company said it will not release the application to enterprises until "the end of 2006". The consumer launch will take place some time in "early 2007".

"Feedback on quality and performance will ultimately determine the exact dates," a Microsoft spokesman said in a statement.

Redmond had promised to launch the application to enterprises by October, and the consumer launch was set to coincide with the release of Windows Vista in January.

The rescheduling marks the second delay to Office 2007 this year. Microsoft said in March that it would hold back the release to coincide with the launch of Windows Vista. 

Office 2007 is currently available as a public beta, and has been downloaded by more than 2.5 million testers, Microsoft said.

The company has logged 13 million events through its Customer Experience Improvement Program.