Tech

Why wait for Microsoft? CloudOn puts Office on your iPhone

Even though Microsoft still hasn’t gotten its act together when it comes to bringing Microsoft Office to mobile devices, that’s not stopping CloudOn, a company that has developed apps to create, edit, and share Offices files on tablets.

Published

8 years ago

December 19, 2012

Zhang Fang

Today, with the launch of CloudOn 3.0, the company is bringing the power of Microsoft Office to your pocket with support for the iPhone. Additionally, CloudOn has added support for Microsoft SkyDrive (on top of cloud storage options from Box, Google Drive, and Dropbox), and optimization for the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini.

“The iPhone really gives us the true delivery of mobile productivity,” said Milind Gadekar, CloudOn’s founder and chief executive, in an interview with VentureBeat. “Each of the devices we support provides specific functions, the iPhone is more around reviewing and annotating, with some editing.” Just like all of CloudOn’s previous apps, the iPhone app lets you run virtualized versions of Microsoft Office programs.

The apps aren’t running on your phone — instead they’re being streamed from CloudOn’s servers. Obviously, you won’t be able to see the full Office interface on the iPhone — CloudOn customized the Ribbon for the phone’s smaller screen by highlighting features like font size and enabling tracked changes. While a handful of Office document viewers already exist for the iPhone, CloudOn lets you make minor edits and supports other productivity software like Adobe Reader. CloudOn now has more than 2 million registered users, and engagement is “literally doubling every quarter” in terms of active users, time spent, and files edited, Gadekar said. In my brief time with the app, I found it worked just as well as CloudOn’s iPad offering.

While the optimized interface takes some getting used to, I was able to open and edit Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files easily. And most importantly, it’s fast. Palo Ato, Calif.-based CloudOn has raised more than $33 million in funding, most recently in a $16 million second round in June. Investors include The Social+Capital Partnership, Translink Capital, Foundation Capital, and Rembrandt Venture Partners.

Why wait for Microsoft? CloudOn puts Office on your iPhone

Myanmar

Digital Revolution and Repression in Myanmar and Thailand

Activists have also proactively published social media content in multiple languages using the hashtags #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar and #WhatsHappeningInThailand to boost coverage of events on the ground.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 16, 2021

Headline Editor

By Karen Lee

Following the February 1 coup, Myanmar’s netizens became the latest to join the #MilkTeaAlliance, an online collective of pro-democracy youth across Asia.

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Ecommerce

How will oil prices shape the Covid-19 recovery in emerging markets?

Published

2 months ago

March 24, 2021

Oxford Business Group

How will oil prices shape the Covid-19 recovery in emerging markets?

– After falling significantly in 2020, oil prices have returned to pre-pandemic levels
– The rise has been driven by OPEC+ production cuts and an improving economic climate
– Higher prices are likely to support a rebound in oil-producing emerging markets
– Further virus outbreaks or increased production would pose challenges to price stability

A combination of continued production cuts and an increase in economic activity has prompted oil prices to return to pre-pandemic levels – a factor that will be crucial to the recovery of major oil-producing countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Brent crude prices rose above $60 a barrel in early February, the first time they had exceeded pre-Covid-19 values. They have since continued to rise, going above $66 a barrel on February 24.

The ongoing increase in oil prices, which have soared by 75% since November and around 26% since the beginning of the year, marks a dramatic change from last year.

Following the closure of many national borders and the implementation of travel-related restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, demand for oil slumped globally.

In the wake of the Saudi-Russia price war in early 2020, Brent crude prices fell from around $60 a barrel in February that year to two-decade lows of $20 a barrel in late April, as supply increased and demand plummeted. The value of WTI crude – the main benchmark for oil in the US – fell to record lows of around $40 a barrel last year on the back of a lack of storage space.

While global demand for oil remains low, one factor credited with reversing the trend is the decision to make significant cuts to oil production, which subsequently tightened global supplies.

Tech

How the Rural-Urban Divide Plays Out on Digital Platforms

It is one thing for entrepreneurs, whether urban or rural, to create and operate an online store, as some digital platforms have made it relatively easy to manage an e-store – even by using just a smartphone.

Published

2 months ago

March 24, 2021

Insead Knowledge

In the West, villages are emptying out due to the lack of economic opportunities. Consider Italy where, in a bid to attract newcomers, a handful of municipalities have turned to selling houses for €1.

(more…)