Microsoft releases Office 2013 to manufacturers

Microsoft engineers have signed off on the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) build of Office 2013, the company announced in a blog post Thursday.
"This milestone means the coding and testing phase of the project is complete and we are now focused on releasing the new Office via multiple distribution channels to our customers and business customers," wrote Kirk Koenigsbauer, corporate vice president, Microsoft Office Division, on the Office blog.
Calling it the "most ambitious release of Office" ever undertaken, the family of applications are meant to marry with Windows 8, he continued.
Starting in mid-November, MSDN and TechNet customers can get ahold of a final build, The Verge reported, while a Volume Licensing release will launch at the same time.

The rest of us

According to Koenigbauer, regular folks will be able to get their hands on Office 2013 in the first quarter of 2013.
Starting Oct. 19, customers who purchase Office 10 from retailers and resellers will receive the newest Office for free when it becomes available.
A preview version of the new suite on Windows RT devices will happen alongside the Oct. 26 public launch of Windows 8, Koenigbauer wrote.

Via Microsoft, The Verge (techradar.com)