Office for Mac 2011 Service Pack 1 due next week with calendar syncing

The Office for Mac team confirmed via a blog post that the first major service pack for Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 is scheduled for next week. Expect a speedier, more stable and more secure performance plus “some new features.” Support for Exchange based server-side rules, editing of existing messages and two new Outlook buttons – Redirect (redirects the message to a person with the replies delivered to the original sender) and Resend (does what the name says) – are in the cards as well.

Speaking of Outlook, expect a better syncing support and (finally!) calendar syncing between Outlook for Mac and any service or device that supports Apple’s Sync Services, including the iPhone and iPad. There something you should know about Outlook calendar syncing though…

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to sync your Outlook calendar with the new MobileMe calendar because the latter will cease using Sync Services beginning May 5.

If all that sounds too confusing, you’re right, it is. Hence Microsoft’s handy chart (below) to explain possible syncing scenarios.

Why would Apple pull the plug on Sync Services in the new MobileMe Calendar as of May 5?

Does it possibly signal a new solution that would be released on May 5, maybe as part of a broad MobileMe overhaul? Meet us in comments.