Microsoft May Bring Office to the App Store

By Jane McEntegart
published

Microsoft is apparently tentatively considering bringing Office for Mac to Apple’s Mac App Store.

Microsoft has said it is considering making Office for Mac, or some Office products, available via the App Store. Speaking to All Things D’s Ina Fried, the company said that though the software is already available via numerous other channels, it hasn’t ruled out bringing it to the Mac App Store.

“It’s something we are looking at,” Amanda Lefebvre told Mobilized. “It’s something we haven’t ruled out,” she said. “We just have to see how that relates to our business.”

While users may have to wait a while before they can download MS Office products from the Mac App Store, it’s important to remember that it’s still very early days for the digital distribution platform. Though it was announced way back in October, it was only launched on January 6.

Jane McEntegart
12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • DjEaZy
    ... an odd situation...
    Reply
  • deathbydoubleG
    i think the imac app store came from ubuntu

    :(

    i doubt that ubuntu receives the credit though... no jobs will say

    "the mac app store, we knew we needed this from day one. the mac app store is a revolutionary new way of distributing software. look at us and our false originality."

    and the iphone app store didn't come from apple, it came from jailbreak devs.
    Reply
  • andrewpmathias
    Don't know if this link will work below but it is a link to where microsoft offers FREE word, exel, and powerpoint 2010 online. you just use your windows live id and its all cloud based, stores on their servers.

    It is also an app in the chrome web store. I use it on my Cr-48 chrome notebook.

    https://login.live.com/login.srf?wa=wsignin1.0&rpsnv=11&ct=1296278231&rver=6.1.6206.0&wp=MBI&wreply=http://office.live.com/summary.aspx&lc=1033&id=250206&cbcxt=doc
    Reply
  • huron
    I wondered if MS Office was going to come to Anroid or IOS - Microsoft makes so much money off of Office, plus it is everywhere in the enterprise - of course people would like to open those files on their non-Microsoft phones.

    Seems like an obvious money maker (though a hit to their Win7 phone line, I guess).
    Reply
  • mister g
    andrewpmathiasDon't know if this link will work below but it is a link to where microsoft offers FREE word, exel, and powerpoint 2010 online. you just use your windows live id and its all cloud based, stores on their servers.It is also an app in the chrome web store. I use it on my Cr-48 chrome notebook.https://login.live.com/login.srf?wa &cbcxt=docI know the service, but because it's free I think you can count on limits on how much you can store (though their SkyDrive offers 25GBs for free) and there would be less functionality (though all I need in Word is spell check and columns) while also needing an always-on internet connection to save.
    Reply
  • ta152h
    With OpenOffice gaining so much more attention, Microsoft probably needs to do everything they can to head it off. I've been seeing a steady move to it, although very slowly. I'd be curious what the market share numbers are, but they seem to be moving towards that, again, very slowly. The more aggressive Microsoft gets, the better for them; if OpenOffice hits critical mass, it will be too late to stop it, and it will spread much faster.
    Reply
  • formin
    open office should try to sneak its way into the education system.
    offer a free product to all the schools and in return u get a future generation familiar with the product.
    Reply
  • wildwell
    Open Office should make itself available through Apple's Mac App Store. ;)
    Reply
  • deathbydoubleG
    open office should rule the office market!i!i!
    Reply
  • snoogins
    I currently use open office (stopped using microsoft office when I Stopped illegally using programs) - but I think this is a step in the right direction. I can't argue that many things that mircrosoft does bugs me, but I think that this is a step in the right direction.
    Reply