Ballmer talks Office.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Microsoft has pulled back the curtains on the latest version of its Office suite.

At a press conference today, CEO Steve Ballmer announced the new version, noting that a preview edition of the cloud-based Office 365 edition will be available for people to try out today.

Ballmer called this "the most ambitious version of Office we've ever done." Touting the cloud-based Office 365, the CEO also said that this is a version that lets users simply click start and being running.

Office 15 launched as a technical preview this past January, available for testing to only a small number of people who then provided feedback to Microsoft on the product. Based on screenshots, the product takes a page from the world of Metro, emphasizing a simple and uncluttered interface.

Office is currently used by more than 1 billion people around the world, according to Microsoft.

Watch our First Look of the new Microsoft Office: