Gates is launching Microsoft's new office software

January 15, 1997
Web posted at: 12:00 a.m. EST

(CNN) -- Don't expect the sort of rollicking promotion that heralded the arrival of Windows 95, but Microsoft Thursday comes out with its biggest product since then: Office 97.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will appear at New York's Lincoln Center to introduce the new product, which is expected to touch off a battle with rivals.

The product offers a cast of nine animated characters that will provide tips on how to use the software, which features improved versions of Microsoft's word-processor (Word), spreadsheet (Excel) and business and business presentation software (PowerPoint).

There's a new component called Outlook that allows users to organize calendars, e-mail, phone lists and documents in one environment. In addition, documents will easily link to World Wide Web sites.

Office 97 costs $199 for an upgrade or $449 for new users. Analysts are predicting sales of Office 97 could reach $4 billion in fiscal 1997.

"The main goal of the upgrade is to improve the connections between documents," said Robert J. Bach, vice resident of marketing in the desktop applications division at Microsoft.

The software comes with a number of Internet-inspired features such as a way to bookmark favorite pages. It also allows the user to search among different Word, Excel and Web documents in a way similar to using a search engine.

 

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