Microsoft Office 2013 hits MSDN, TechNet

Microsoft's newest versions of its Office 2013 suite and its Office servers (SharePoint Server 2013, Exchange Server 2013, Lync Server 2013) are available as of October 24 to TechNet and MSDN subscribers.

Microsoft released to manufacturing (RTM) the final Office 2013 client, server and services on October 11. At that time, the Softies said volume licensees and TechNet and MSDN subscribers would be able to get the final bits by mid-November.

It looks like that timing estimate was conservative. According to a few of my buds on Twitter (thanks @jghassell and @dochouse7), TechNet subscribers can already see and download the RTM versions of the new Office products.

I've asked Microsoft if volume licensees also can get the RTM bits as of today. No word back yet on that one.

Update: Volume licensees are saying they cannot yet grab the RTM bits.

The RTM of Office 2013, on 10/11/12, was earlier than many of us Microsoft watchers had been expecting. Word on the street for the past few months was Microsoft was targeting November 2012 as the RTM date for its Office new client, servers and services.

Microsoft officials said earlier this fall that  Office Home & Student RT 2013 -- which is preloaded with Windows RT-based machines, including the Microsoft Surface RT -- will start rolling out to users as of early November. Earlier this week, it looked as though this timeframe is still generally correct. A new Office blog post this week said the RTM bits would be available a few days after devices were available, meaning a few days after October 26.

Update No. 2: Microsoft has said commercial availability for those without volume license agreements or TechNet/MSDN will be Q1 2013. Originally, I heard this Office 2013 general-availability date would be February 2013. But now I'm hearing it's more likely to be January 2013.