The Verge’s Tom Warren is back with another Microsoft rumor this morning. According to sources familiar with the matter, Microsoft will in fact release iOS and Android versions of Microsoft Office in the first half of 2013. The apps will allow users to view Microsoft Office documents in the application, with content creation tools available via a subscription to Microsoft’s Office 365 platform. Office 365 can be unlocked via an in-app purchase, and the iOS version will add the ability for companies to distribute a purchased code to employees.
The sources claimed that even with an Office 365 subscription, the apps “won’t go very far in attempting to replace regular full use of a desktop Office version.” It seems, then, that adoption of Microsoft’s Office platform will be fairly low given that more robust (and likely cheaper) options are available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play.
Microsoft Office for iOS is expected to launch in late February or early March, with the Android version expected to launch a few months afterward.
[via The Verge]