Next Wave Of FrontPage Due In 1999

By Steven Vonder Haar

Trial versions of the next iteration of Microsoft Corp.'s FrontPage Web publishing tool will be available by early next year, the company said today.

The new version, dubbed FrontPage2000, will feature broader integration with Microsoft's successful Office software suite. FrontPage and Office, for instance, will share common toolbars in their updates slated for release next year, said George Meng, group product manager for Microsoft Office.

"It feels like an Office application," Meng said. "We think the ability to launch an application with comparable toolbars makes FrontPage more accessible to the general market."

Microsoft has sold more than 75 million copies of its flagship Office suite. FrontPage has sold about 2 million copies in its history, mostly through traditional retail channels, Meng said.

Microsoft also plans to leverage Office in marketing the FrontPage product. The company plans to maintain the $149 price now charged for FrontPage 98 on its FrontPage2000 product. However, Office users will be eligible for a $40 discount on the FrontPage price, Meng said.

A test version of FrontPage integrated with Office will be available near year's end. A stand-alone trial version of FrontPage is slated for release in January 1999.