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Office 2013 service pack is coming

Microsoft announces updates for Office 2013, SharePoint 2013 and Exchange 2013

Mark your calendar for ‘early 2014’ ‘coz that’s when Microsoft will release Service Packs for Office 2013, SharePoint 2013 and Exchange 2013.

The service pack will apply to anyone using the ‘download then install’ version of Office as opposed to the streaming ‘Click to Run’ version supplied to subscribers.

For ‘Click to Run’ users, software changes are pushed to your computer on a more regular basis and, if all goes well, in the background.

Office 2013 SP1 will have the usual ‘performance enhancements’ and ‘feature updates’ and ‘improve compatibility’ with Windows 8.1. In other words the usual platitudes that cover a series of bug fixes, security patches and other embarrassments from Microsoft.

The Exchange 2014 update will include one important change for users; support for S/MIME signed and secure emails in Outlook Web App.

It’s a good bet the Service Pack will, yet again, have that nasty trick from Microsoft that comes with all updates. When Microsoft releases the Service Pack they’ll also admit to software bugs they’ve been keeping secret from customers until they can announce the fix. They call them ‘previously unreleased fixes’.  It’s PR damage limitation tactic that’s little comfort to customers struggling with bugs in Office. Check out Bug? What Bug?

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