There is reason to believe the mobile workforce

There is reason to believe the mobile workforce, and the market for a mobile Office suite is huge. According to research firm Ovum, 57 percent of employees
surveyed used a mobile device to access business information. Seventy percent of workers used a personal mobile device for work.

The Reuters article also noted that many young tech companies are turning their backs on Microsoft Office because of that platform restriction. There are
other cloud-based apps for a variety of mobile devices. Microsoft will be able to compete for more of those app losers after it actually launches this new,
cheaper software.

Apps from Google Haiku, Quip, Evernote, Prezi, and Paper have eaten into Office sales and use. Quip, for example, combines word processing and messaging. 
Artivest Holdings, a New York-based financial services startup, uses it with all but the most sensitive documents.

Google Docs is another popular cloud-based service. The free version of Google Docs allows users on any device to create word processing documents, drawings,
forms, presentations, and spreadsheets.

In the next few months it will become clearer if the new, cheaper Office 365 software that Microsoft launches can take away some of the appeal of those
competing apps and tools.