Microsoft launches office for ipad

Microsoft has released an iPad version of
its popular Office software suite.
This breakthrough heralds a new era
under new CEO Satya Nadella who
promises to focus more on the devices
that people are using instead of trying to
protect the company’s lucrative Windows
franchise.
Thursday’s unveiling of the much-
anticipated iPad apps for Microsoft’s
bundle of word processing, spreadsheet
and presentation software comes nearly
four years after Apple Inc. released the
tablet computer that has contributed to a
steady decline in sales of desktop and
laptop machines running on the Windows
operating system.
The Office app is free to anyone who
wants to read Office’s Word, Excel and
PowerPoint documents on the iPad, but it
will require a subscription to Microsoft’s
Office 365 to create and edit on the
device. The Office 365 subscription costs
A$119 annually, but comes with a limited
number of devices the software can be
used on.
The Office 365 subscriptions also have
been required to use Office apps built for
the iPhone and Android phones last
summer, so many iPad owners many
already have one.
But millions of other people with iPads
probably haven’t had a reason to buy an
Office 365 until Thursday.
Nadella, who has been working at
Microsoft for 22 years, emphasised that
he felt rejuvenated since taking over as
CEO.
“You see things from a fresh set of eyes
and fresh perspective,” Nadella told a
crowd of reporters gathered in San
Francisco for his first major public
appearance as CEO.
Microsoft hasn’t made Office apps for
Android tablets yet, though the company
has previously said those will be coming.
Last year, Office apps for Android phones
came out a month after the iPhone
versions debuted.
“We are taking great focus and great care
that Office on every device shines
through,” Nadella said.
He promised to show off more pieces of
his “innovation agenda” for Windows next
week at a software developers conference
in San Francisco.