This is only one of the latest of a tremendous wave of changes being made by the technology giant.
Among the many new pieces of technology news coming from the Redmond, Washington based tech giant has been the release of Microsoft Office for free for users of mobile devices.
This is a move that has taken many by surprise, when taking several of the company’s previous strategies into consideration.
For many years, Microsoft Office had not even been made available in a format that was compatible with mobile devices, regardless of price. Now it is has been announced that it will be a free software suite. Office was released for the iPhone in the summer of 2013, and soon afterward there was a version made for Android smartphones, as well. It wasn’t until March of this year that it was available for the iPad.
Previously, there was a bit of a catch, as Microsoft Office was only be free to those who had a paid subscription.
In order to be able to take advantage of the software suite, users previously needed to have an Office 365 subscription, which comes with a price tag of $99. Now, regardless of whether or not users are subscribers to Office 365, they will now be able to use their iPhones, iPads, and Android devices to create and edit spreadsheets, documents, and presentations through Office.
This decision has been made by Microsoft at a time in which the usage of smartphones has now started to pass the use of laptops and desktops, which has historically been the heart and soul of Office. Moreover, Microsoft was also facing a threat to its massive hold on the document, spreadsheet, and presentation market, as the products of competitors were starting to rapidly improve and were already available to users of mobile devices at better prices.
Competition to the mobile version of Microsoft Office has included products such as Google Drive productivity apps, which have been available for free to users for some time now. Apple has also been offering its iWork suite for free to users of iPhones and iPads, as of last year.
There has been neither official confirmation of the device or its launch date, but many in the industry expect it.
The latest rumors about the Surface Smartwatch are suggesting that Microsoft could actually be released within the next week or so, making certain that it will have hit the market shelves in time for shoppers to snatch it up during the holiday season.
Speculations have been made about this wearable technology, suggesting that it will have a health focus.
That said, it is important to note that while there are many reports that read as though they are providing factual information about the Microsoft Surface Smartwatch, there have yet to be any official confirmations about the existence of the device itself, let alone its features or release date. Many in the industry that have made very accurate speculations in the past have been discussing various types of health sensors that could have been incorporated into the device, if it does indeed exist.
Some very reputable media sources have stated that the Surface Smartwatch will have certain impressive features.
For example, Forbes discussed a possible wearable technology device from Microsoft, saying that with regular use, it could continue to function for two days on a full charge, and that it should have a sensor that will allow the user’s heart rate to be tracked. The offering will likely provide cross platform capabilities and, if Microsoft manages to launch it during the next handful of weeks, it will provide a rival to the current products from Google and Samsung during the holiday shopping season.
It could also become competition for the Apple Watch, which is expected to launch at the beginning of next year, after the holiday shopping season has already fizzled out. As it will not be based on Android Wear, it will be in direct competition with other existing devices that are already using that platform.
However, the belief is that the Microsoft Surface Smartwatch will still be able to function with nearly any smartphone, which means that it will not be limited exclusively to mobile devices that operate on the Windows mobile operating system.
