Microsoft on iWork: "it's not a serious threat

This week Apple introduced Mac OS X Mavericks and also said something about iWork becoming free. Many have seen it as a direct attack on Office. Others have practically laughed, and one of them is Frank Shaw, Corporate VP of Communication at Microsoft

Tim Cook said in the presentation that other tablet manufacturers were confused and didn't know what they were doing. Shaw begins at that point:

While I disagree about the fact that the Surface is affordable (they're not expensive for what they offer, but they're not cheap either), Shaw shows that Microsoft knows exactly what it's doing and what you want to achieve with your strategyIt's always been clear, and while the execution has been dubious in some respects, it can't be said that Redmond's are confused.

"Microsoft understands how people work better than anyone and has literally written the book on how to be productive with Office and Windows, and all of that experience has helped them create a device like the Surface. "

"About iWork, it starts off strong: iWork has never had much traction, and it was already priced at what seemed like an afterthought. And for that very reason, he does not see it as something revolutionary or surprising:"

And Shaw is absolutely right about that. The Surface already has Office included for free, and I think even Tim Cook can't argue that Office is superior to iWork To take a curious example, it is said that there are more programs written in Excel spreadsheets than in any other programming language.

However, I wouldn't share all of Frank Shaw's optimism. It is true that the reign of Office is not going to be broken by iWork, no matter how free it is, but Microsoft is not at the moment to allow itself to despise the movements of the competition As my colleague Jaime Novoa at Genbeta said, they can't wait much longer to make the leap to iOS and Android tablets.

Yes, it is true that then Surface and other Windows tablets would lose advantage, but not all. iOS and Android are still toys with which to do complex tasks (programming, writing documents, designing...), although it is not impossible, it is difficult and uncomfortable. Windows is better prepared for that entertainment/productivity duality than its competition, and that advantage is not going to go away even if Office is also on other systems.

On the other hand, being on more systems would make Office even more attractive. What other office suite would be on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Windows Phone? And it's not just about being, it's about having perfect synchronization between all devices.Neither iWork nor anyone else is threatening Office in the slightest, but Microsoft can't rest on its laurels either

Via | Microsoft blog