Microsoft Considering Whether to Bring Office to Apple’s Mac App Store

Microsoft says it continues to be pleased with sales of the Mac version of Office, but has not yet decided whether to offer the product or any of its components in the Mac version of the App Store, which launched earlier this month. Similar to the iPhone store, the App Store for Mac puts Apple in the position of retailer, taking a 30 percent cut of sales.

“It’s something we are looking at,” Microsoft’s Amanda Lefebvre told Mobilized. However, the company said its product is already available in lots of places as well as via the Web–including in a new, free 30-day trial version.

“It’s something we haven’t ruled out,” she said. “We just have to see how that relates to our business.”

In its absence, visitors to the App Store are given prominent options to buy Apple’s rival iWork components–Pages, Keynote and Numbers.

Microsoft is just starting to bring Office to the iPhone. Last week the company released an iPhone version of its OneNote note-taking program as a free download in the iOS App Store. Microsoft didn’t commit to releasing other titles for the iPhone, but said it is committed to bringing Office to more types of devices.

“You can absolutely expect Office to expand its presence across other platforms,” Microsoft senior director Jason Bunge said in an interview.