Microsoft has posted a blog entry discussing the upcoming Office for Mac 2011 release scheduled for later this year. Microsoft has also posted a video of developers talking about some of the new features included in Office for Mac 2011.

The team has a short video (above) and here is a quick look at the new feature they discuss:

• Starting off with the new Template Gallery in Office 2011, this feature allows you to quickly and easily pick a template from the built-in designs to the thousands of templates online – giving you a head start to create great looking, professional documents.
• Core features in Outlook for Mac like the Conversation View help you sort emails easily to keep track of what you need to do. Additionally, the new file-based database is faster and provides more stability with Time Machine support.
• Tying all of the new features together is the Office for Mac ribbon, designed as an evolution of the Office 2008 Elements Gallery while also utilizing the classic Mac menu and Standard Toolbar giving you the best of both worlds. We have put the most commonly used controls at your fingertips making it easier for you to find what you need. You can even minimize the ribbon and the Toolbar for more screen space or for the more advanced users who rely on keyboard shortcuts.

Microsoft has issued several beta’s of Office for Mac 2011 so far this year, and are aiming towards a release near the holiday season of this year.