Microsoft Office coming to Apple's iOS, Google's Android after March 2013 - report
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A Microsoft product manager in the Czech Republic has reportedly indicated that native versions of Office for iOS and Android will arrive next year [updated]
Microsoft's Petr Bobek told IHNED (via The Verge) that his company's market leading productivity suite will make its way to Apple's devices, as well as those running Google Android, sometime after March of 2013. The details came from a press release issued by Microsoft's Czech Republic Team.
"In addition to Windows, Office will also be available on other operating systems: Windows Phone, Windows RT, Mac OS, Android, iOS and Symbian," the company's statement said.
The press release separately noted that a new version of Office Web Apps will also be available. In a statement, Microsoft's U.S. arm noted that the company previously indicated Office Mobile will be available on iOS and Android, in addition to Windows Phone.
Rumors of a version of Microsoft Office for iPad have swirled for the past year, and tablet publication The Daily even showed a screenshot of the rumored application. One report from late May pegged a specific release date for Office for iPad: Nov. 10, 2012.
However, Wednesday's statements from Microsoft's Czech team would suggest that date will not be met, with a launch instead coming in early 2013.
AppleInsider also learned earlier this year that Microsoft was working on a new native iOS application for Outlook Web App, called "OWA Mobile Client for iOS," that will offer compatibility with Exchange 2012 mailboxes. It, along with a new version of the Lync application for iOS, will reportedly feature Microsoft's Metro interface, just like Office for iPad is expected to do.
Rumors have said that Office for iPad will allow users to create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. Dedicated Outlook functionality is not expected to be included in Office for iPad.
While earlier reports focused on Office support for the iPad, the mention of iOS in the overseas Microsoft press release suggests that the productivity suite could also be coming to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. Apple's own iWork suite, including Pages, Numbers and Keynote, offers universal support across portable iOS devices.
68 Comments
i am stunned by this, but I guess it makes sense -- the MS Office division isn't going to go down with the Windows 8 ship.
Actually, it is impossible for Office to be on iOS. Unless I missed the change, suites of apps are specifically disallowed. What they probably mean to say (and what the blogs should *correct* instead of just mouthing Microsoft's marketing), is that Office will be "accessible" from iOS. Until we get specific evidence to the contrary, the obvious assumption here is that we are talking about iOS subscriptions to Office 360 (web Office).
They had no choice.. LibreOffice is coming to IOS, too...
If I were a MS shareholder, I would be furious. Apple has shipped three generations of iPad which quickly dominated the industry. Microsoft is losing market share year after year. They are a software company and make one of the most revered productivity suites available. Apple showed them the way with Pages, Numbers and Keynote with the iPad 2 and yet Mocrosoft may not even have their software available until well after the 4th generation iPad is released. Meanwhile, they are going to go head-to-head with Apple as a hardware manufacturer!? Microsoft missed the boat here, much like Blackberry missed the boat sacrificing their market dominance, and are now all but doomed. Now MS is playing catchup, having lost the smartphone market, the tablet market, and possibly the mobile office productivity market.
Good luck with that Microsoft. Both the hardware and the software. I mean that sincerely. I want there to be decent performing attempts by other companies so folks will stop saying its just that there is no one else and the iPad etc actually suck and so on And those saying that you can't have a suite in the App Store are a tad wrong. You can, you just can't having pricing that is x for each price but y for all three. Unless you do it as some kind IAP which wouldn't really work of Office.