Microsoft announced a new version of its Office productivity suite for the iPad. The Office for iPad is a break away from Microsoft’s policy of providing tablet versions of Office, but only on the ones running on Windows.
Subscribers to Office 365 can create and edit documents using Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for iPad applications. The files will be stored on Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage system. Meanwhile, nonsubscribers can download the three apps for free from the App Store, but you can only read and present the files.
Microsoft has long held on to its Windows-first policy, especially when it comes to Office and its productivity applications that include word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation. This is to strengthen the popularity of Windows, a major contributor to Microsoft’s profits.
While there have been Office for Mac desktops and laptops, this move is a bit different because Microsoft Surface users still have to contend with installing a trial version of Office 365 Home Premium. It remains unknown whether Surface tablet will be able to download Office apps separately.
The move to release Office for iPad also reflects how the new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is coming to terms with the reality that only about 15% of Internet-connected devices such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones, are powered by Windows. There is also a growing trend in open-source productivity suites, a threat that Microsoft cannot ignore.
Source: Wall Street Journal
