When the latest build of Windows 10 Mobile was released last week one of the missing elements was any type of ability to edit Office documents because the Office Hub had been removed.
At the time we were told that preview versions of the universal Office apps would be made available in the coming weeks.
Well it looks like that commitment will be honored based on news today from the Office on Windows team and now the question is whether or not we see the preview apps before BUILD 2015 or after it kicks off on 29 April 2015. I suspect we might just see a new Windows 10 Mobile build around the same time as well.
Word Universal on Windows 10 Mobile
PowerPoint Universal on Windows Tablets and Desktops
The release of the Windows 10 Mobile Office preview versions of the Office Universal apps will mean we have the package of software on both Windows 10 desktops and mobile devices such as tablets and phones.
They’re touch-first, built for tablets and phones, and optimized for viewing, quick edits, notes and mark-up. On a tablet, the Universal apps are fast, fluid, and streamlined for an immersive, hands-on experience. They’re fantastic for reading and perfect for touch- and pen-based content creation. On a phone, the Universal apps adapt to the smaller form factor. Commands and controls are moved to the bottom of the screen so you can triage your work and make edits one-handed with your thumb.
In the same blog post they also discussed Office on the Desktop, in other words Office 2016, and how they differentiate from the universal preview apps to help customers create professional content.
Areas they are focusing on include:
- Modern productivity. Updated look and feel—Office 2016 will deliver a modern look and feel that is visually aligned with Office across platforms and devices. So no matter what form factor you’re using, your Office experience will be familiar, consistent, and intuitive. Cloud connections—With a redesigned Backstage experience, we’re making it easier to use cloud services to create, open, edit and save your files directly from the desktop. In addition, new modern attachments in Outlook make it easy to attach files from OneDrive and automatically configure permission for the recipients—all without leaving Outlook. Intelligent experiences—The new Office apps will learn as you work, taking advantage of subtle cues and clues to help you stay focused on priority work. Tell Me, a new search tool available in Word, PowerPoint and Excel, will enable you to find the commands you need by simply typing what you want to do.
- Business intelligence. Office 2016 will also include a number of valuable business intelligence enhancements built right into Excel. New data visualizations will make sophisticated analysis faster and easier. And Power Query (previously offered as a separate download) will be fully integrated into Excel, giving the app native features for discovering, combining and refining data from different sources.
- IT control and manageability. For the Enterprise, Office 2016 will deliver improved controls and information management. Word, Excel and PowerPoint will include new Data Loss Prevention (DLP) features to manage sensitive information like credit card or social security numbers. Flexible click-to-run deployment options will allow IT admins more control over Office updates. And improved integration with Microsoft SCCM and Azure Active Directory will give organizations powerful controls for managing the Office apps across devices.
Read more about Universal Apps for Windows 10 Desktop and Tablets and Desktop Preview of Office 2016 for IT Pro's and Developers.
It will be very interesting to see how these compare to what is already offered for iOS and Android devices.
