Microsoft is now giving away its Office 365 mobile apps as the tech giant looks to increase its number of users.
Starting Thursday, Microsoft is wiping out the fee previously tied to the use of its Office mobile apps — including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and others — on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, the company announced. Users previously had to pay around $70 at the lowest point for a non-business Office 365 subscription in order to use the apps on a mobile device. Fees are still in place for using the Office apps on laptop or desktop computers.
John Case, corporate vice president of marketing for Microsoft Office, said the company wants to “empower” users looking to create or edit Office documents on their mobile devices whenever inspiration strikes. “With over a billion Office customers worldwide, and over 40 million downloads on the iPad, it’s clear that Office applications are what people want to use to get things done,” Case said in a statement.
Office apps for iPhones and iPads are available for download immediately, the company said, and Android-compatible apps are available in a preview format with full versions expected to hit the market early next year.
The announcement is Microsoft’s (MSFT) latest move to make Office more accessible through different devices and software. Earlier this week, the company announced a new partnership with cloud storage service Dropbox that lets users edit and share content such as Office documents across the two services.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been focused recently on increasing the number of customers with access to Microsoft products. Last week, the company said that its new smart watch, the Microsoft Band, will be compatible with iPhones and Android smartphones in addition to Microsoft devices.
