Microsoft Corp. is updating its Office 2008 for Mac by offering a service pack that promises increased stability and performance along with new capabilities for PowerPoint presentations and document collaboration.

The Redmond- based company said Service Pack 2 for Mac Office 2008 goes beyond basic fixes and updates to add new features.

It will be available as a free download starting sometime Monday.

There's never been a better time to try Office 2008 for Mac — with SP2 we are not only delivering on top customer requests midcycle, but also taking a first step in bringing Microsoft software plus services to Mac users, said Mike Tedesco, senior product manager for the Mac Business Unit at Microsoft, in a statement.

This connection unlocks the door for Mac users to Microsoft services for easier collaboration and file sharing with colleagues, customers and classmates.

The additions include a new tool called “Document Connection for Mac” that will let Mac Office users share documents using Microsoft’s Sharepoint and Office Live Workspace collaboration tools.

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