Rumors have been floating around for some time that Microsoft is hard at work developing Microsoft Office apps for iOS—or more specifically for the Apple iPad. Speculation about Office for iOS has grown following the launch of Office 2013 and the new Office 365, but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer appears to have squashed that dream for the time being.

When asked about progress on Office apps for iOS, Ballmer responded,  ”We do have a way for people always to get to Office through the browser, which is very important.” While that may be technically true, I disagree with Ballmer that it satisfies the need. I’ve been a champion of Office for iOS since the iPad first came out. Here are three reasons Microsoft needs to release native Microsoft Office apps for iOS and Android:

1. Not compatible with Office on Demand

One of the benefits of subscribing to Office 365—as opposed to simply purchasing Office 2013—is that it includes a feature called Office On Demand. Office On Demand enables you to log in from any Windows 7 or Windows 8 system and work with streamed virtual versions of the full Office applications. Unfortunately, Office On Demand doesn’t work with iOS or Android.

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