Microsoft Office For iPad Launch Tipped For March 27, Satya Nadella Could Host The Event

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has scheduled a media event on March 27 -- likely to be hosted by the company’s newly appointed CEO, Satya Nadella -- where the company is expected to launch the long-awaited Office for iPad, a new report said Monday.

Microsoft has dispatched invitations to media houses for “a special cloud- and mobile-focused event,” which could take place in San Francisco, The Verge reported, adding that Nadella is expected to talk about the company’s “mobile first, cloud first” strategy, while also making some major announcements ahead of Microsoft’s Build conference in San Francisco in early April.

Microsoft is expected to outline Windows Phone 8.1 and the Windows 8.1 Update at the Build conference, while a preview of Windows 9 is also expected to be part of the event.

As for the Office for iPad app, rumors have suggested that the software could be based on the iOS version of Office for the iPhone, which was introduced last June. The iPad app could also require an Office 365 subscription for editing, though the exact details and functionality of the app are still unknown.

However, sources told The Verge that document creation and editing are fully supported for Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps.

A report from ZDNet on Monday also said that Office for iPad will debut during a March 27 event, which is expected to begin at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST). Microsoft is also planning to webcast the event, though a link is not yet available.

The ZDNet report also said, citing its own sources, that Office for iPad is codenamed “Miramar,” which is very likely to hit the market ahead of Microsoft's touch-first version of Office, codenamed “Gemini.”

Meanwhile, a Twitter user, who goes by the name of Ricardo González, posted what he said is a screenshot of Office for iPad, leaked by a Microsoft employee.

Here is the leaked image: