Office 2016 for Windows 10 will drop on September 22

The truth is out! Microsoft will finally pull the wrapping off Office 2016 for Windows on September 22.

After months of waiting, Windows 10 customers will be able to take advantage of the refreshed version of the productivity suite in a little under two weeks. The refreshed software brings with it a range of collaborative features that will have enterprises and regular old folks alike eager to get going.

The release date isn't a huge surprise, given that marketing materials leaked late last month mentioning the very same date. In terms of new features, real-time editing in Word across different computers, simple file sharing and Insights in Office are all part of the fun.

It will also be free to smartphone and smaller tablet users, with Office Home & Student 2016 edition costing approximately £95 ($139.99) at the lower end and the price level increasing for all versions above and beyond that.

Alongside the release date news, Microsoft also confirmed various new tools that will help enterprises to better manage the roll out of Office 2016 both now and in the future.

Businesses that currently use Office 365 ProPlus will see the update process rebranded as 'Current Branch' and 'Current Branch for Business'. Current Branch is the always up-to-date approach and does what it says on the tin.

Check back for more

Current Branch for Business, meanwhile, is made up of three feature updates each year and gives enterprises a chance to better test out features and customisations before rolling them out organisation-wide.

There are also a number of other enhancements for the IT community, and administrators are urged to check back on September 22 and beyond to find out about exciting new features as they are announced.

• Microsoft Office 2016 release date, price, news and features