Microsoft is rigorously working on an official version of Office 2011 for iPad version of “Office” suite.
Microsoft has already dived into the tablet market with its upcoming Windows 8 and looking forward to the launch of it next year but one thing that’s been absent from the software giant so far is the development of a critical software for other developing platforms such as tablet market.
Yes, we’re talking about Microsoft Office suite, which is still an absentee from any tablet available in the market today. There are unofficial mobile office apps but there’s no official Office app by Microsoft to cater to the ‘office’ lovers for work related use.
But the current scenario of absence of ‘Office’ is not going to remain the same for too long. Microsoft is rigorously working on an official version of ‘Office’, exclusively for iPad.
As iPad commands over 80% of tablet market, we wouln’t be wrong to say that developing for iPad at the moment is equivalent to developing for the tablet market.
As tablets are becoming more capable and gaining mass popularity with time, Microsoft had to give in to this and just like it develops a separate native Office version for Mac(latest being Office 2011), there will soon be native ‘Office’ app for iPad.
This will serve many purposes for Microsoft and therefore, it’s a strategically correct move by the Redmund company for many reasons:
- There have been too many unofficial ‘mobile office’ apps with very limited capabilities. Official ‘Office’ app, meant for tablet sized devices will fill up the void space
- ‘Office’ desktop app is the second biggest profit-making avenues for Microsoft and ‘Office’ app for iPad, if competitively priced, will take no time in selling like a hot cake to a huge iPad market.
- Office app for iPad will also serve as a dry run for Microsoft to see how the users react to an official ‘Office’ app, specifically designed for a touch-friendly tablet. As Windows 8 tablets will hit the market next year, performance of ‘Office’ app for iPad will help Microsoft gauge the future market scenario pretty effectively.
The price tag, however, is going to be a challenge for Microsoft as ‘Office’ app for iPad will not be a success without the price being affordable to tablet buyers, especially when there’s already an iWorks by Apple for productivity work on iPad.
We will keep an eye over this and report further info as it arrives..