The long-awaited Microsoft Office for iPad may launch as soon as next week, on March 27, according to new information.
Microsoft has been rumored for quite some time to be working on a new Office application specifically designed for Apple's popular iPad lineup. The company has not offered an official launch date, but a new report now claims that the new Office for iPad will roll out next week.
The Verge claims to have learned from "sources familiar with Microsoft's plans" that Office for iPad will land on March 27. Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella will host his first press event on that date in San Francisco. Nadella is expected to discuss several things ahead of Microsoft's Build conference in early April, and the new Office for iPad will reportedly be one of the highlights of the event.
Microsoft has already rolled out an Office for iOS version back in June last year. That iOS Office version is specifically designed to work with Apple's iPhone, enabling users to edit and view Office documents and files. The new Office for iPad is expected to be similar to the existing iPhone version of the suite.
"We understand the iPad variant of Office will be similar to the iPhone version, and will require an Office 365 subscription for editing," The Verge adds in its report. "We're told that document creation and editing is fully supported for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps. Overall, the interface and features are expected to be similar to the existing iPhone version."
The March 27 press event Microsoft has scheduled will reportedly set the stage for more announcements from the company, ahead of the Build developer conference on April 2. Microsoft's Build conference is highly anticipated, as the company is expected to unveil Windows Phone 8.1 and offer more details on its Windows 8.1 Update.
If The Verge's information turns out to be accurate, Microsoft will officially unveil its new Office for iPad on March 27, then offer more details during its Build conference on April 2. We'll make sure to keep you up to date as soon as more information becomes available, so stay tuned.
