Microsoft has opened public beta releases of Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Microsoft Project 2010, and Microsoft Visio 2010.  This is an important milestone as it provides system administrators with an opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience before the products are released to manufacture later in the first half of calendar year 2010. 

You can join the beta test for any of these products on Microsoft's web site <a href="https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40124112">here</a>.

If you have been testing Windows 7 for possible deployment in your environment, now is a great time to consider upgrading to Office 2010 as well.  While you are at it, take a look at VMware View 4 or Citrix XenDesktop running on vSphere 4.  Deploying your next new corporate desktop OS and applications on virtual desktops running in the datacenter is a non-disruptive way to roll out the latest technologies to your end-users without the need to upgrade or replace your corporate desktops.