Microsoft officially launches Office for Android Phone apps

Last month Microsoft made preview versions available of Word for Android, Excel for Android, and PowerPoint for Android. Today Microsoft made the Office for Android Phone apps officially available through the Google Play store. The availability of Microsoft Office across virtually every platform and operating system and the integration with all major cloud storage services solidifies Office as the de facto standard for cross-platform productivity.

I wrote this post about the Office for Android apps news:

Microsoft put another notch in its cross-platform productivity belt with the announcement today of the general availability of Office for Android phone. It’s only been about five weeks since Microsoft made the Office apps available as a preview for Android smartphones. Now Office for Android Phone is available to the masses.

Kirk Koenigsbauer made the announcement on the Office 365 blog this morning. Although the preview period was relatively short the feedback Microsoft received should be fairly comprehensive based on the high demand for the preview apps. The Office for Android phone apps were previewed by users across 83 different countries using over 1,900 different Android smartphone models.

Koenigbsauer said, “During the preview, we heard from thousands of these users, and over the last few weeks we were able to incorporate a lot of their feedback into the apps we’re launching today. For example, we made it easier to connect to other popular third-party storage offerings like Google Drive and Box, as well as many usability adjustments to make it easier to navigate commands within the apps.”

The Office for Android Phone apps require an Android smartphone with at least 1GB of RAM running on Android 4.4 (KitKat) or higher. Like the Office apps on other mobile devices these apps are free for all users and can be used to open, view, and edit Microsoft Office files. Office 365 subscribers gain access to the full set of features for the apps, though.

Word for Android, Excel for Android, and PowerPoint for Android are available as of today in the Google Play store. Combined with Outlook for Android and OneNote for Android, Android users now have access to a full suite of Microsoft Office tools from their smartphones.

The launch of the Office for Android Phone apps is just the latest step in Microsoft’s two-pronged strategy. Microsoft is simultaneously striving to establish itself as the de facto productivity standard across all platforms and devices while working to commandeer the Android mobile platform from the inside.

You can read the full story on Forbes: Microsoft Moves Closer To Cross-Platform Domination With Launch Of Office Apps For Android Phones.