Independent software companies are reaping rewards from the salad days of the Mac App Store, but when will we see big software publishers enter the fray? At least in the case of Office publisher Microsoft, maybe sooner than later.
All Things Digital’s Mobilized blog is reporting that software giant Microsoft isn’t ruling out a presence on Apple’s new Mac App Store. Having recently released a downloadable 30-day trial version of the Mac Office suite on their website, the company is eyeing the Mac App Store for a future release.
“It’s something we are looking at,” Microsoft’s Amanda Lefebvre told Mobilized’s Ina Fried. “It’s something we haven’t ruled out. We just have to see how that relates to our business.”
Presumably the biggest stumbling block for a software titan like Microsoft is the 30 percent cut they’d have to give up to Apple for selling their wares in the Mac App Store -- although many new Mac owners would likely appreciate the convenience of being able to pick up the latest Microsoft Office with a simple click.
Meanwhile, Office is taking baby steps onto the iOS platform, having released an iPhone version of OneNote last week as a free download -- and is teasing that there will be more to come.
“You can absolutely expect Office to expand its presence across other platforms,” revealed Microsoft senior director Jason Bunge.
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