Office Is Now On Android!

Everything we do today is in bite-sized chunks, from sharing quick status updates to entertainment like short videos on YouTube and Vine.  The short and sweet little bits of entertainment and information are delivered to us on demand to a myriad of devices from phones and tablets to laptops and desktops.  The way we work is changing, too.  More and more work is being done in bites and clips on the go and on demand.  While smaller devices are not great for extended data entry sessions they are perfect for taking notes or developing an outline of a document on the go or perhaps roughing out some paragraphs or dropping some new numbers into a spread sheet to see how it changes the bottom line.

Most of this kind of work has kept us tethered to a desk shackled to desktops and laptops using the Microsoft Office Suite.  Microsoft brought the ability to view and edit Office documents on Windows Phone devices what seems ages ago.  More recently, the ability was granted to Apple iOS devices.  While this mobile version leaves a lot to be desired as far as features go, new features are being added to this mobile version at a breakneck pace.  Now, as promised, Microsoft has released Office apps for the Android operating system.  As an added bonus, the apps are free!

Android users can now download and install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Lync, OneDrive, Skype, and Yammer for their Android phone or tablet.  Now there are a few minimum requirements with which many of you Android users will already be familiar.  Compatible devices must have an ARM-based processor or an Intel x86 processor.  In addition to the hardware requirement, the device must be running Android KitKat 4.4 or newer in order for the new Office applications to run.

The apps support cloud storage like Google Drive and Box.  Microsoft Office has added word count and proofing capability.  Excel supports formulas, tables, and charts.  The best thing about the Excel Android app is its ability to render a sheet exactly or nearly exactly like the sheet is laid out on a desktop monitor with advanced visualizations like spark lines or other charts.

With this latest platform Microsoft has covered all of its bases.  IOS, Android, Windows Mobile, Windows, or OSX. No matter what device you have handy you will be able to work on almost any type of document from spreadsheets to novels.  Have some downtime at the Dr.’s office? Pull out your device and make some last minute edits to that contract you have been working on.  Halftime at the little league game? Pop some new numbers you were just emailed into the financial analysis for an investor you are trying to win over.  We are a mobile workforce, and using these tools to their fullest can help us all live life while still “getting it done.”

Go to the Google Play store to find out more about these apps and install them or you can head over to https://products.office.com/en-us/mobile/office-android-tablet to see what else Microsoft has to say about these new apps.

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