In what apparently is a strategic move on the part of Microsoft to ensure that it remains relevant in the ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) era, the company is reportedly working on an Office version for the iPad and Android platforms.

Despite the fact that there has thus far been no official confirmation by Microsoft bringing on its Office software suite on tablets, rumors and reports have, of late, been making rounds that an Office version for the Apple iPad and several Android-based tablets will be released by this November.

The move to release its Office productivity suite for the iPad and Android tablets will be a beneficial one for Microsoft because it will give the BYOD employees, the accessibility to Office software on mobile end points as well as in the corporate scenario.

However, with Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows 8 OS designed to run both on desktop PCs and tablets, Office for iPad and Android tablets may not be a good idea because it will leave the mobile workers with hardly any reason to shift to a Windows 8 tablet.

With Office for iPad and Android tablets having both pros and cons, Digital Trends has come up with the presumption that Microsoft will probably offer a trimmed version of Office for iPads and Android tablets. Such a version would seemingly run only four apps - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote – instead of the full Office Suite, which also includes Outlook e-mail and calendar.