Companies with Software Assurance contracts with Microsoft will be able to get free Office 2007 upgrades, even if their agreements expire in November, analyst firm Gartner has said.

It is not clear when Office 2007 will be launched, but Gartner said that as the product has been added to the company’s November Select and Open price lists, those not extending their Software Assurance contracts with the firm beyond November will still get it for free.

Gartner has been critical of the delays in launching Office 2007, the first major upgrade since Office 2003. It warned companies with software contracts expiring this year that they could miss out.

The delay has partly been down to the delay in launching Windows Vista, which is expected to be available for companies later this month, ahead of a general launch in January.

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