Microsoft is set to release its Office 2010 - the refined version of its most-widely used, traditional desktop Office productivity software for Windows - on June 15. The new Office version has several new features that have been added throughout the suite.

The Office 2010 keeps the `ribbon' concept of the current version intact, extending it further to some new places, chiefly Outlook. The extension marks the introduction of new ways to organize e-mail threads into conversations and hooks; thereby facilitating the use of the software in tandem with social networking, like Facebook and LinkedIn.

Among the new changes that Office 2010 incorporates is the reappearance of "File", which has been revived in the form of a tab that takes users to a new area which Microsoft calls "Backstage" - where traditional commands co-exist with some new options.

One of the most notable changes has come the way of the users of the PowerPoint presentation software, with Microsoft significantly expanding its picture-editing tools - giving the users the ability to insert and tweak videos in PowerPoint slides, as well as broadcast their presentation over the Internet.

In addition, the Excel spreadsheet will feature "Sparklines" - or mini-charts - that reside within a cell and deliver small bits of data graphically. Moreover, Office 2010 also allows users to save their work to their local hard drive; as well as enables users with Hotmail account or other Microsoft-issued ID to avail 25GB free online storage facility - "SkyDrive."