Microsoft has been sending out invites for a press briefing set for March 27th in San Francisco. If rumors are to be believed, it could be Satya Nadella's first press event, and the newly appointed CEO will reportedly use the opportunity to take the wraps off Microsoft's Office for iPad.
Microsoft has been working on the software for quite some time now. Back in October last year, then CEO Steve Ballmer officially confirmed that a version of Office is in the works for the iPad. Just last month, there were reports that Office for iPad is scheduled to launch during the first half of 2014.
"According to several sources of mine, Microsoft's latest timetable calls for the company to finally introduce the long-rumored Microsoft Office for iPad suite of applications before the end of March 2014", says ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, adding that the March 27th event could be an ideal time and place.
Tom Warren from The Verge also hints at the possibility. The iPad variant will be similar to the one that exists for the iPhone, and will require an Office 365 subscription for editing, he says. A basic Office 365 subscription starts at $6.99/month and allows users to install Office on one PC (or Mac) and one tablet.
Nadella is also expected to discuss the company's "mobile first, cloud first" strategy at the event. Last month, the Redmond, Washington-based company rebranded its online Office Web Apps to Office Online in an effort to make the product less confusing to consumers. Just yesterday, the software giant released its OneNote software for Mac, and made all its versions available free of charge.