Microsoft to iOS and Android Users: “Never Mind.”
Are we really surprised? In the flurry of Microsoft’s marketing blitz for Office 2013, Microsoft promised that the “new office” would be available across every platform. That Mac, iOS, and Android users would not be left behind.
Fast forward a few months and Microsoft delaying MS Office for the iOS and Android platforms by a year. Already facing erosion from Google Apps as companies are moving into the cloud, Microsoft is neglecting one of the fastest growing user markets in the “post-pc” era.
Meanwhile, Google is offering Quickoffice to Google Apps customers at no charge and Quickoffice PRO is available to iOS and Android users for $19.99. MS Office users can now more easily integrate their legacy applications with mobility with Google products than those from Microsoft.
As noted in ZDnet, iOS and Android users — and Google — have the most to gain.
With this week’s release of Quickoffice for iPhone and Android platforms, Google Apps for Business mobile users can now access and edit MS Office files on any iOS or current Android device. Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files are no longer captive to heavy and more expensive Windows laptops, netbooks, and tablets.