Microsoft is making huge strides on bringing its productivity line-up to the cloud, so it's understandable that Apple is seeking to offer an alternative. Today, rumors are surfacing that Cupertino is partnering with VMware to push the company's own iWork software to the net.

According to CRN (via AppleInsider), Apple is currently producing an iOS app that will utilize VMware's own View tech -- a virtual-desktop client -- to host the iWork suite on a first-part offering. 

The source also claims Apple would include VMware's own Horizon technology in the app, to essentially create a partition (virtually) on your iPad or other iOS device. As workers increasingly depend on their own, personal devices to integrate work-life, Horizon could prove beneficial in separating what's "work," and what's "private."

While this is all speculation, it's at least grounded in reason. Microsoft is heavily pushing Office 365, a subscription-based suite that offers programs like Word and PowerPoint on-demand. Recently, Microsoft announced pricing and terms for an incredibly appealing University version of Office 365.

Apple partnering with VMware, a virtualization company, seems -- well, a bit weird. While VMware is certainly accustomed to working with Apple's infrastructure, maybe I'm the only one who thinks it's odd Cupertino wants to jump in bed with a company that finds ways to run competing OS on Macs. 

VMware is in direct competition with Parallels for the Mac virtual machine space, most recently releasing Fusion 5 this summer.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Microsoft has denied reports that an iOS version of Office is making its way to the Mac. If those denials are true, Apple stands a chance to truly lock in the iPad productivity sector with its own suite.

Granted, iOS versions of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers already exist on the app store. So, take this for what you will. Still, some type of mobile, document-in-the-cloud iWork solution sounds pretty great.

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