Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella tweeted that it looks like “a productive Friday” for iPad owners. He then included a screen shot of the iOS App Store which shows that Microsoft Office apps are holding four of the top five spots for most popular free downloads in the App Store.
Big day for Office on the iPad
looks like it's a productive Friday for #iPad owners! pic.twitter.com/hjoDxxbp7c
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) March 28, 2014
Microsoft Word took the number one spot, with Microsoft Excel in second. PowerPoint for iPad was in third place, while OneNote was in fourth. At this point it is still too early to tell just how well the apps will be received because they are freemium apps which require a subscription in order to fully use them. However, it still is an excellent sign that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s gamble will pay off.
What may be even more impressive is the fact that Office for iPad is also ranking pretty highly in the App Store’s top grossing list as well. Microsoft Word is fifth on the list, while Excel is in 12th place and PowerPoint is a bit further down in 29th. These numbers are important because they indicate that some iOS users are indeed paying for a subscription to Office 365 for Word.
Also it’s important to note that the top grossing chart would not show users who already have Office 365 and are now using their subscription on their iOS devices. This is where the list of the most downloaded free apps comes into play. Users may be signing up through Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), which is selling subscriptions for $67 instead of $99, which is the App Store price.
Nadella tweets with Cook
Nadella and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook had a very friendly exchange over Twitter on Thursday. Cook welcomed Microsoft Office to the iPad, and Nadella tweeted back, saying he was “excited to bring the magic” of Office to customers on the iPad.