Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer has confirmed that the company’s upcoming Office package, codenamed 14, won’t land in 2009.

He told Wall Street analysts at Redmond’s annual “Strategic Update” briefing today that the Office suite “will not be [shipped] this year.”

Just last month Microsoft spun out an Alpha version of the server products that will eventually be folded into Office 14 to a select bunch of customers.

However, Microsoft declined to disclose information about when it expected a beta version would arrive.

Indications had suggested that Office 14 would in fact rock up at some point in 2009. However, the fact that Microsoft wonks have been keeping details close to their chest led some to believe that the release date had slipped into 2010.

Well, the speculation was true; customers won’t get their hands on Office 14 in 2009.

Perhaps MS concluded that it would be better to spread the load in what’s increasingly looking like a bumper release year for the company - many have suggested Redmond is readying Windows 7 to RTM later this year.

Or maybe Office 14 is simply the latest victim of Microsoft's shipping delays.

Silicon Alley Insider has a rough transcript of the investor chat with Ballmer here and it can be viewed here. ®