Office on iPad – It’s About Time!
Karen is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Challenging economies can make for strange bedfellows, and The Daily and BGR have leaked rumors of a very interesting pairing. On May 31, 2012, BGR ran the following announcement: “Microsoft is currently planning to release an Office suite for Apple’s iPad, and quite possibly the iPhone and iPod touch……. Once approved by the usability team, the app will be handed to Apple for approval in its App Store. The launch date for Office Mobile is reportedly scheduled for November 10th.”
If the above prediction is true, Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Office will soon be available on Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad, allowing each company to take advantage of the other’s strength. Microsoft plans to make the official announcement at the company’s SharePoint conference on November 12th in Las Vegas, just in time for the holidays.
So how does this arrangement benefit the two companies?
The worldwide decline in PC sales has hurt Microsoft’s bottom line, and it’s a trend that doesn’t appear to be slowing anytime soon. Getting their software on Apple’s hardware will provide Microsoft with new sources of revenue, whether through license fees and/or monthly subscription fees. It gives Microsoft a whole lot of new hands-on users that might want to purchase their other software products. Microsoft also has the opportunity to take back the market share they’ve lost to Quick Connect, Documents To Go, and Apple’s Pages, Number and Keynotes, all of which offer Office-compatible programs available for around $10.00.
For Apple, adding the Microsoft name to its iPad is a real coup. Despite an array of competitors, nothing matches the reliability and reputation of Microsoft and Office. Putting Office on iPad taps into the businesses and consumers who won’t touch anything that doesn’t have Microsoft Office, thereby opening up a new and potentially significant group of iPad buyers. Presumably, Apple will be the only company legally permitted to offer Office on a tablet, thereby putting themselves head and shoulders above their competitors. Should this initial endeavor prove successful, Apple may want to consider adding other Microsoft programs to their iPad.
All I can say as an Apple iPad owner and Microsoft Office user is this: it’s about time!
Fool blogger Karen Rogers does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this entry. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.If you have questions about this post or the Fool’s blog network, click here for information.
