Microsoft is apparently only weeks away from finally launching its latest online music venture with partner Sanity Music. The music and video site in only a year behind schedule, according to Channel News, which is still years ahead of the delays Windows Vista saw before its rollout.

Microsoft announced its still unseen Australian media site in January 2007 along with its Windows Vista launch. The service was supposed to launch in April 2007, but still remains in the development phase. According to Sanity Music sources, however, the service is finally in a beta test phase and could officially see the light of day in late May or early June.

"We are weeks away. It has been difficult for us because of early development and coding issues which were being undertaken in the UK," one source said.

Another source claimed that since Apple’s iTunes Store is the only legit online media option available in Australia, Microsoft’s venture could "well take off."

Microsoft Director of the Client Business Group Jeff Putt wasn’t willing to offer any additional details "I cannot comment," he said. "This is commercially sensitive and I do not want to flag anything to our competitors."

Based on Microsoft’s inability to get its new music service out the door so far, however, its competitors probably aren’t overly worried about what those "flags" might say.