Mac users have been waiting for an Office update for almost five years, but despite the launch of a new Windows version in 2013, there's still no new Microsoft Office for Mac suite yet. Here, we bring you all of the latest news, rumours and speculation about when Office for Mac is coming out, and what you can expect when it does.

Office for Mac 2015 release date: When is the new Office for Mac coming out?

Microsoft released a new version of its Outlook email application for Mac for Office 365 subscribers in November last year, and confirmed that a new Office for Mac is coming.

According to Microsoft, Mac users will be able to access a public beta of the suite, which consists of several productivity applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, in the first half of 2015 ahead of a final release later in the year.

Looking back at Microsoft's Office launch history, it's clear to see why Mac users have been getting impatient. The company tends to launch a new Windows version of the software less than one year ahead of the Mac version, but Office 2013 was launched in January 2013 so we've now been waiting for two years.

Announcing the new version of Outlook for Mac Microsoft said: "Historically we have released a new version of Office for Mac approximately six to eight months after Office for Windows. However, following the release of Office 365 we made the conscious decision to prioritize mobile first and cloud first scenarios for an increasing number of people who are getting things done on-the-go more frequently."

Office for Mac 2015: Features & improvements

We don't know everything about Office for Mac 2015 yet, but the new Outlook for Mac is available for Office 365 customers now and includes the following changes.

• Better performance and reliability as a result of a new threading model and database improvements.
• A new modern user interface with improved scrolling and agility when switching between Ribbon tabs.
• Online archive support for searching Exchange (online or on-premises) archived mail.
• Master Category List support and enhancements delivering access to category lists (name and colour) and sync between Mac, Windows and OWA clients.
• Office 365 push email support for real-time email delivery.
• Faster first-run and email download experience with improved Exchange Web Services syncing.

Overall, you can expect lots of integration with mobile and the cloud in Office for Mac 2015.

We'll continue to update this article as we get more information.