Developers and IT pros can sign up for the preview through the Microsoft Connect website. Eventually, Microsoft will open up the program to individual Office 365 users, but this option doesn't appear to be available yet. Note that this Office 2016 release is separate from the touch-friendly Office apps that Microsoft has released as part of the Windows 10 Technical Preview.
For now, Microsoft is staying quiet on features for end users, as the first Office 2016 preview focuses on businesses and IT managers. Microsoft's Office blog has a full feature rundown, but here's a quick overview of what Office 2016 Preview users can expect:
Microsoft hasn't given a release date for Office 2016, but is aiming for the end of this year. In the meantime, Microsoft plans to continually update the preview and highlight major new additions as they become available.
Why this matters: Office 2016 has been the subject of rumors and speculation for months, but this marks the first time that Microsoft has talked openly about the next version of its productivity suite. While these new features probably won't be of much interest if you're just using Office at home, you can expect a steady drip of new information now that the preview is out in the open.