According to recent news reports, Microsoft is planning to release a version of its Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Power Point and OneNote for Apple’s iPad mobile computing device.
As noted on ComputerWorld, Microsoft will announce Office apps for iPad on March 27, 2014, during a public press conference by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The press conference, which is invitation-only, will focus on cloud and mobile computing.
Office on iPad Implementation
The speculation is mostly on how Microsoft will choose to implement the Office app on iPad. Tech Radar says that one option is for Microsoft to use Office 365, Microsoft’s subscription service for Office. Office 365 is part of Microsoft’s Software Plus Services strategy, combining the advantages of cloud-based remote computing software options with the company’s traditional base of on-premises software offerings. Microsoft’s Surface devices require Office 365 to run the Office suite, hinting at the path Microsoft may choose to take for Office on iPad.
Will Users Download Office from the Apple Store?
It is expected that users will be able to download Office from the Apple Store but most likely to require a Microsoft Office 365 subscription, similar to the way Office Mobile for iPhone works. Currently, with Office 365 subscriptions, users can access email, instant messaging, Office documents, and other Office 365 services from an iPhone or iPad.
An alternative Office on iPad implementation would be to charge a small fee per app (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and offering an in-app purchase of Office 365 to sync documents across devices.
