Microsoft: We can update Office-by-subscription every 90 days

"If organizations cannot adapt [to a faster release cycle], they may think, 'Well, let's go with Google [Apps]. That may be on a fast release cycle too, but at least it's cheaper,'" said Silver.

Microsoft has made allowances for conservative organizations, however, as they can use their existing management tools -- presumably including Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) -- to limit Office 2013 updates to those that have been tested and verified as compatible with existing software and practices.

It's unclear whether companies and consumers who stick with the traditional perpetual licenses for Office -- rather than shift to subscriptions -- will also receive the same updates.

Silver thought that some will, especially businesses making Software Assurance payments, an annuity-like program under which volume license customers fork over annual fees for the rights to all upgrades of a specific product.

"I think Microsoft will use [the faster release cycle] as another differentiator for subscribers," said Silver. "But folks with [Software Assurance] will eventually get the updates, just not in real time."

Directions on Microsoft's Miller expects that Microsoft will announce the contents of Office 2013 updates only when they're ready for release, rather than tout them beforehand, as they have done during the old-school three-year release cycles.

But in the end, Miller was dubious of anyone who dwelled on Office's accelerated development. "If they're buying [Office 365] for the faster updates, they're buying it for the wrong reason," Miller said. "They're looking at the cup holder rather than the whole car. There's so much more win inside the product than this."

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at  @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His email address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.

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