Microsoft, What's Going On? IT Pros and Partners Want to Know By Paul Thurrott

Next week, Microsoft hosts its annual Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, the first time the software giant has returned to that city in a major way since the Katrina debacle (at least to my knowledge). On the face of things, the WPC doesn't sound like it would be a thrilling event per se--images of CEO Steve Ballmer bounding across the stage caterwauling "partners, partners, partners!" notwithstanding--but this show has always offered up some compelling info about Microsoft's upcoming products. This year, on the eve of WPC, however, I have some questions.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
Microsoft previously announced that it would complete development of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 in July 2009, so it's likely that the company will reveal that milestone at the show. But numerous questions surround these products, even in the wake of last week's Windows 7 retail pricing announcement.

For example, will businesses be able to get access to these products electronically before the October 22, 2009 launch date? And if not, why? And what about MSDN and TechNet customers?

Indeed, the sheer number of questions swirling around Windows 7 pricing, availability, and various upgrade issues is astonishing, especially when you consider that Microsoft had months to prepare for this event. The company could really clarify things a lot better than it has.

Office 2010/Office Web Applications
Last year at the Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft announced that it would deliver a beta version of its upcoming Office Web Applications (using the now-overloaded OWA acronym, with due respect to Outlook Web Access) by the end of 2008. Now 2009 is nearly half over, and it still hasn't happened.

We can expect a lot of Office 2010 pomp and circumstance at WPC next week, including the release of the previously announced Office 2010 Tech Preview (which leaked to the web over a month ago, by the way). But what about OWA?