Microsoft Office Rumored To Hit iOS Next Year [u]

Early this year, a screenshot of Microsoft Office for the iPad was leaked, and we heard rumors that we would see the apps this year. Now, another time period has popped up, this one backed by a remark from a Microsoft employee.

As reported by The Verge, Microsoft product manager Petr Bobek was at a press event in the Czech Republic, and said native apps would be available in March 2013. It appears that this will be part of the Office 2013 suite, which, according to an official Microsoft press release, ”In addition to Windows, Office will be also available on other operating systems, Windows Phone, Windows RT, Mac OS, Android, iOS and Symbian.”

Businesses will get the suite in December of this year, consumers in February, with mobile versions in March, according to this news.

It’s not clear if this will be a worldwide release, of if these dates are specifically for the Czech Republic.

Given how widely Office is used, iOS users have been clamoring for a mobile version for years. Hopefully, this’ll make all those work documents play nicely on your iPad.

UPDATE: Microsoft USA has said “The information shared by our Czech Republic subsidiary is not accurate. We have nothing further to share.” Curious.