During Apple's annual new product launch event last Sept.9, Microsoft executives appeared on stage, demonstrating the new Microsoft Office 365 app for iPad.
Microsoft corporate vice president of Office 365 Client Apps Kirk Koenigsbauer appeared on stage at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. He introduced the features of Office for iOS that are tailored for the new iPad Pro. Koenigsbauer stated that Office 365 is designed to take of Apple's new Pencil stylus for the iPad Pro, which costs $99. Office 365 includes iWork's Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps compete directly with Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Office 365 features an ability to draw freehand shapes on a Word or PowerPoint document and translate them into shapes such as circles and arrows, PC World reported. Users can also sync across Office apps on iOS and other platforms.
Additionally, the apps will allow users to copy and paste content across different Office apps running side by side. One good example is users can take a chart from an Excel spreadsheet and then copy it to a Word document located on the other half of the device screen. Its Microsoft Translator app can bring key translated phrases to the watch face of the users and it will adjust the phrases to match the location and time of day.
Microsoft aims to create the best apps that would people use in different platforms, and this collaboration with Apple, it can provide more specialized services.
Koenigsbauer's appearance on Apple Inc. event is a new strategy from CEO Satya Nadella. Microsoft puts an effort into creating apps for platforms from other companies, including versions of Office for iOS and Android. The company tries to be friends with rival companies such as VMware and Salesforce, according to Business Insider.