“As Microsoft readies its version of Office for iPads and iPhones, Apple and VMware are teaming to build an iPad cloud-hosted office suite that will let organizations ditch Office entirely,” Kevin McLaughlin reports for CRN.
“According to sources with knowledge of the project, the iPad app combines VMware View virtual-desktop software with cloud-hosted versions of Pages, Keynote and Numbers — known as the iWork suite — running on Apple infrastructure,” McLaughlin reports. “VMware’s Horizon Application Manager, a management tool that has been likened to an enterprise app store, is also included, sources told CRN.”
McLaughlin reports, “The infrastructure that Apple is building for iWork is a separate offering from iCloud, Apple’s consumer-focused storage service. Sources did not have any information on when the cloud-hosted iWork suite will be released or what it will cost. The iWork suite has been primarily aimed at consumers since Apple launched it in 2005. But with Microsoft reportedly planning to launch an iOS version of Office next March, Apple is recasting iWork for businesses in order to challenge Microsoft’s Office cash cow, sources told CRN.”
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MacDailyNews Take: Bring it on!