Software giant breaks with strategy for only allowing Office suite on Windows tablets
Microsoft Office applications have been made available to iPad users for the first time in its history.
The announcement – at Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s first public event since taking the reins last month – that Word, Excel and Powerpoint apps will be available from Apple’s app store breaks a long-standing strategy of it only being available on Windows tablets.
Immediately following the announcement Word became the most downloaded item on the app store, with Excel and Powerpoint in third and fourth position.
Nadella said it was part of the firm’s strategy to allow people “to be productive across all devices” using Microsoft software. Office was available on Microsoft’s own Surface tablet and while the introduction to the iPad may add billions in revenues, it could also hit sales of it own range.
Shares in Microsoft were above the $40 mark following the news reaching their highest trading price for more than a decade.