Can Office become the productivity suite of choice for every computing platform? We may soon find out, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.
According to Bloomberg, Microsoft (MSFT +1.11%) CEO candidate Stephen Elop would consider decoupling Office from Windows, breaking a long-standing tradition in which the richest and most functional version of its productivity apps exists on Mr. Softy's own operating system.
Elop would instead seek to bring high-grade versions of Office to other operating environments, including those distributed and supported by Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google, among others. A logical choice when you consider that Microsoft's Business Division, which shepherds and sells Office, produced nearly twice as much operating profit as the Windows Division in fiscal 2013.
What's more, Apple released the Mavericks edition of Mac OS X as a free upgrade, leaving Microsoft as the lone seller of desktop operating systems. Finding ways to broaden the appeal of signature products such as Office might help Microsoft preserve or even grow profits in a world where Windows is cheap or free, Tim says.
Do you agree? Or would you view a move to decouple Office from Windows as destabilizing? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take and then leave a comment to let us know what you think.
