About next release of BCM?...

[George]

Does anyone, based on prior history, inside info, etc., have any guesses as
to...

a) when the next release (apparently now in beta) of BCM will be made
available, and

b) if it will be a separate update (CD or downloadable) or patch
(downloadable) for bugs, or if it would simply be wrapped into the next
release of Office 200X (2005?).

Thanks

 

[Patricia Cardoza [Outlook MVP]]

I don't have an answer for question a, but as for b, it will be a separate
product, not rolled into the next version of Office (it will be available
way before the next version of Office).

--
Patricia Cardoza
Outlook MVP
Author - Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
Lead Author - Access 2003 VBA Programmer's Reference
Author - Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft OneNote 2003

http://blogs.officezealot.com/cardoza
http://www.cardozasolutions.com

 

[George]

Thanks Patricia, when you mention it will be a separate product, does that
mean...

1) it will be separate because it's really an add-on system for Outlook2003
and needs to be separate so it *can* be released before the next version of
Office, and

2) it will still (likely) continue to be packaged along with new versions of
Office Professional, as they arrive down the road,

Or does it mean...

3) it will likely forever be severed from Office going forward, and will
instead be offered like the way MS Project is offered...in a whole different
box, not even part of the Office Suite at all....meaning the bundling with
Office2003 was just a one-time thing to promote it?

Thanks,

 

[Luther]

My understanding is that the plan is for BCM to remain an Outlook
Add-in, and remain bundled with Office packages. The main difference
with Office is that BCM appears to have two releases for every Office
release. BCM v2 will replace BCM v1 in Office 2003 packages. I don't
know what the exact plans are for existing users, but I expect they'll
want to send v2 disks to registered v1 users. I also heard that the v2
release is contingent on the release of the next MSDE sevice pack. Make
of that what you will. The future is unwritten, and so on.