Finally (according to many), the iPad is adding Microsoft Office or Microsoft Office is coming to the iPad, depending on which way you look at it.
Most analysts contend the lag was on Microsoft's end, including those at UBS Investment Research.
"...this should have happened three years ago," they told clients earlier in the week, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Now that the service is available for iPads, it should help drive Microsoft stock, which lagged under former CEO Steve Ballmer. Recently appointed CEO Satya Nadella made the official announcement on Thursday.
"Office on the iPad and today's announcement marks one more step in that direction," Nadella said, referring to the company's goal of adapting its services to a wider range of devices, even those made by competitors. "Over the next three to four weeks, you'll get a much better picture of our innovative agenda," he added.
Like UBS Investment Research, FBR Capital was similarly enthused by the news.
"We believe the Office for iPad was a major positive step in the right direction and signals a strategic change at Microsoft, which could be the sign of more things to come around cloud, tablets, mobile and future Windows releases over the next 12 to 18 months," FBR Capital said. "The 'Nadella era' at Microsoft is off to a good start."
UBS Investment's only negative point was the way the service meshed with iPads' touch screen technology, though they seem to believe that a minor drawback.
"While some Office features may not be a perfect fit on a touch screen, overall access to the Microsoft platform could be powerful, particularly in enterprise and small business," they said.
