Microsoft chose to remain silent even after fresh reports began making the rounds that the software giant will release a version of Office for iOS and Android devices by early next year.
According to a report by The Verge, Office Mobile will debut as free apps which will allow Android and iOS users to view Microsoft Office documents on the move. Users will be required to have a Microsoft account to avail Office Mobile. Quoting several sources close to Microsoft's plans, the report said Microsoft will provide access to basic viewing functionality in the apps at the first launch. It will support Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents.
However, editing functionality will be available only with an Office 365 subscription.
"Microsoft will allow iOS users to purchase an Office 365 subscription within the app, or let organizations distribute codes to enable Office Mobile editing for users. The apps will allow for basic editing, but we're told this won't go very far in attempting to replace regular full use of a desktop Office version," The Verge reported.
Although Office will be available for Google's Android platform, Microsoft plans to debut it on Apple's iOS first. The report revealed that Office Mobile for iOS will hit the market in late February or early March and Android version will arrive in May.
