We were expecting this to happen, especially after the Windows Vista announcement and the name change from Office 2006 to 2007. A new timeline for Office consumer editions has been decreed by Microsoft and, as before, it’s aimed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2007:

REDMOND, Wash. — March 24, 2006 — Yesterday, Microsoft Corp. confirmed the timeline for release and availability of its 2007 Microsoft Office system. The company remains on track to complete work on the 2007 Microsoft Office system in October of this year and is planning to make the product available to the business customers through the volume licensing program in October 2006. Retail and OEM availability of the product are scheduled to coincide with the retail and OEM availability of the Windows Vista operating system in January 2007.

At least they’re singing from the same hymn sheet, even if it is a bit dog-eared.