Microsoft launched Office for iPad this year which scored a very decent number of downloads in small time. It was mostly like desktop version of Microsoft Office with touch support. And viewing the documents was free on it. Now Microsoft is building a touch friendly version of its popular Office. And according to reports Android may get the touch version even before Microsoft’s own Window Operating System.
Microsoft is taking this step because Android has a very large market share and Microsoft wants to deliver its products to maximum number of customers no matter if they use Windows or some other Operating System. As we all know Windows 9 is coming in the start of year 2015 and Microsoft will perhaps release the touch friendly version of Office along with Windows 9.
The timing isn’t likely coincidental, given Microsoft is believed to be building at least one Threshold SKU that won’t include a desktop. Such a SKU would require a version of Windows that doesn’t need the desktop/Win32 environment to run. That’s when the Metro-Style/Windows Store versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint become a necessity, not just a nicety.
So if the Microsoft Office for Windows is coming next year then if we are lucky enough, it should be available on Android this year.