We all kind of expected this after the news about the delay of Vista but it seems that Microsoft has confirmed now that the next version of Office will also be released officially to the public not at the end of this year but beginning of next year. Note however that organizations can go for a volume license at the end of this year but the box itself will be in the shops a bit later than expected. Read more here.

Update: Understand that the shipping date is still October 2006 for volume license customers. Read an official press release here and Doug's comments on it.