New Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will host his first major press conference on Thursday. He’s expected to come swinging right off the bat. Previous rumors have suggested that the much awaited Office for iPad might be launched by the end of March. All eyes are now on Nadella’s first press conference as it may serve as the perfect launchpad to usher in a new era for Microsoft’s popular productivity suite.
It was recently rumored that the company is actually sitting on a ready to ship Office for iPad, and that its just waiting for Nadella to pull the trigger. The launch is crucial for Microsoft as it looks to reel in iPad users that have given up on Office and opted for other productivity suites. Moreover, it will also serve as a revenue stream for the company. Barclays analyst Raimo Lenschow believes that Office for iPad might bring in anywhere between $840 million to $6.7 billion in yearly revenue, depending upon what Microsoft charges for it and how many iPad users adopt it.
Other analysts are much more cautious, believe that Office for iPad may only be able to bring in about $1 billion in yearly revenue. Apple takes a 30 percent cut on apps sold through the App Store, but it’s unclear right how big of a cut will end up in Cupertino’s pockets. Microsoft will certainly aim to steal users away from Apple’s iWork suite, which has been greatly improved over the past few years.
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