Update: Microsoft corporate communications lead, Frank Shaw, has crushed our dreams. Shaw posted a Tweet, stating the comments made by the Czech team are "inaccurate." Of course, it's a bit odd the Czech Microsoft representatives would get something like this so blatantly wrong, even going so far as naming a date. Oh, and generating a press release. Weird.
[Original story]
While there's a number of ways to deal with Microsoft Office documents on the iPad or iPhone, plenty of iOS users have long-waited an official app. Well, according to a Microsoft product manager, you just may get your wish next spring.
Microsoft product manager Petr Bobek spoke to an audience in the Czech Republic today, talking about the upcoming release of Office 2013. Apparently, Bobek informed Czech site IHNED (via The Verge) that iOS and Android devices would see an Office app next March.
In addition, The Verge has acquired a Czech Microsoft press release which seems to confirm the mobile Office app's existence. Also intriguing: the release notes Office 2013 will see a Mac OS release. Just this July, Microsoft had stated Office would not see a 2013 Mac release, instead opting to update Office for Mac 2011 with SkyDrive.
"Office will be also available on other operating systems, Windows Phone, Windows RT, Mac OS, Android, iOS and Symbian," read the alleged release.
The traditional Office 2013 will supposedly see a December release for business, and the end of February 2013 for general consumers.
Of course, Office isn't the end-all, be-all for productivity on the iOS platform. Apple's own Pages does a decent job as an effective word processor, and there are a number of other ways to deal with Word documents, for example. But an official Microsoft app would go a long way for those of us who enjoy writing on the iPad.
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