Microsoft on Wednesday followed through on a promise to release versions of its widely used Word, Excel and PowerPoint programs for smartphones running on Google-backed Android software.
The apps, which hit shelves of Google`s online Play Store, build on a Microsoft strategy to make its applications accessible from a broad array of devices as services in the Internet cloud.
The US software titan has applications tailored for use on Android-powered tablets as well as on Apple iPhones or iPads.
"I`m pleased to announce the general availability of the new Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps for Android phone," Microsoft Office team corporate vice president Kirk Koenigsbauer said in a blog post.
"These join our previously released Office apps for Android tablets to complete the Office experience for the millions of Android users around the world."
Feedback harvested during a preview period prompted features such as making it simple to connect with digital file storage services Box and Google Drive, along with Microsoft`s own OneDrive, according to Koenigsbauer.
Microsoft`s hope is that having the applications on major mobile platforms will inspire more people to subscribe to its online Office 365 service.