As first reported by blogger Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft has kicked off a private beta of Office Starter 2010, the that the company will offer computer makers in lieu of the ancient Microsoft Works, which has been discontinued.

Office Starter will include on-screen advertisements, the first desktop edition of Microsoft's longstanding suite to do so. The ads will be limited to a space in the lower-right-hand of the applications' windows.

Microsoft announced Office Starter 2010 more than a month ago, but said it would not be available to the public until the completed Office 2010 suite ships sometime in the first half of next year.

Office Starter will include reduced-functionality versions of Word and Excel, the suite's word processor and spreadsheet, but will not be a time-limited trial. Microsoft hopes that customers will like what they see and pony up the money for the real deal, such as the entry-level Office Home and Student 2010 or the more expensive Office Home and Business 2010. Prices for Office 2010 have not been set, and last month Microsoft refused to say whether Office Starter users will receive a discount if they purchase a for-a-fee edition.

Today, Microsoft confirmed that it has launched a preview of Office Starter 2010 to what a company spokesman said was a "select group of users."