Microsoft announces update to Office Web apps

The update aims to expand Microsoft reach to other platforms like iPad and iPhone.

06:37 25 June 2013

Microsoft has announced an update to its Office Web Apps that allow iPhone and iPad users, among others, to edit Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files on the gadget.

The Office Mobile app is free but only for those people who have Microsoft’s Office 365 plan, which costs $100 a year. With this plan, subscribers are able to download the Microsoft Office tools to up to five Windows or Mac computers. With the new update, the Microsoft Office tools can also be accessed using iPad and iPhone.

To use the app, users have to sign in using their 365 log in name and password. After signing in, they’ll be able to access all the files that they’ve saved on their SkyDrive. The Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files can be edited even without Internet connection. The app will also allow users to edit documents sent as an attachment in the iPhone’s Mail app. The changes will be saved when the gadget connects to the Internet.