Microsoft Completes New Version of Office

Microsoft Corp. is poised to announce today that it has completed its latest version of Office--called “XP”--on time, a relative rarity in the setback-prone technology field. Copies of OfficeXP will be manufactured for release to the public around June, the company has said. Microsoft, which has not yet priced the new software, is touting user-friendly features that will allow people to connect to one another and to Internet-based resources more easily. New features include Sharepoint, which lets people set up their own private Web sites to share information. The company is also highlighting an updated system that saves data automatically when a crash occurs.