Microsoft planning Office suite for iPad

The iPad, the dominant player in the tablet scene, may be getting a productivity boost from one of its maker's erstwhile rivals.

 

Microsoft is planning to produce a version of Office software suite for the iPad, iPad-oriented news site The Daily reported.

 

Citing its sources, The Daily said Microsoft is "actively working" on adapting its popular software suite for Apple’s tablet.

 

It added the pricing would likely be around the $10 price point that Apple has established for its Pages, Numbers and Keynote products.

 

"With the iPad making up over 80 percent of the tablet market and millions of people worldwide using Office, that could mean big bucks for the tech giant based in Redmond, Wash," the report said.

 

Also, it said Microsoft is planning a new edition of Office for Apple's Mac OS X Lion in 2012. The most recent version, Office 2011, supports up to Snow Leopard.

 

But it said that while the full versions of Office for Mac and Windows 8 may launch near the end of 2012, the iPad version could come well ahead of that date.

 

The Daily said the Office for iPad is likely to work with Microsoft's cloud-based Office 365, and Windows Phone’s Office Hub.

 

Microsoft presently has several apps available for the iPad, including Bing, MSN Onit and MSN OnPoint.

 

Apps for Apple's iPhone include Microsoft Tag, Windows Live Messenger and Wonderwall.

 

The Daily said Office is one Microsoft’s biggest sellers, second only to Windows.

 

Citing Business Insider, it said Office can earn more than $15 billion in revenue in 2011 - and the number could grow if it branches out to new platforms like the iPad.

 

On the other hand, it said a flop by the upcoming flagship operating system Windows 8 will make Office even more important to Microsoft's fortunes. — TJD, GMA News