CNET News.com has learned that Microsoft is aiming to ship its next version of Windows, codenamed version 7, within three years or so.

Microsoft discussed Windows 7 last Thursday at a conference for its field sales force in Orlando, according to sources close to the company.

Windows 7 will be under new orders to establish a more predictable release schedule, as suggested by Ray Ozzie following the multi-problematic Windows Vista rewrite and more than five years of development.

CNET comments, “Like Vista, Windows 7 will ship in consumer and business versions, and in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The company also confirmed that it is considering a subscription model to complement Windows, but did not provide specifics or a time frame.”

Details were released, a representative said, “as part of our ongoing outreach to enterprise customers and partners, Microsoft has begun sharing plans for how they will continue to deliver value to businesses in the future…Software Assurance customers in particular. Microsoft is scoping Windows 7 development to a three-year time frame, and then the specific release date will ultimately be determined by meeting the quality bar.”

Windows 7 was previously codenamed, Windows Vienna.