Office 2003 available to volume buyers

"Customers on Enterprise Agreements or Software Assurance will be able to download as of Monday, as will MSDN subscribers, said Dan Leach, lead product manager for Microsoft's Information Worker Product Management Group," reports CRN. "Leach said hardware OEMs will start shipping the first machines preloaded with the Office suite by the end of September. After that, the next major event will be October 21 New York launch of the retail product where Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Group Vice President Jeff Raikes will hold court."