Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch the touch version of Office first on Android and not on its own Windows operating system, a deviation from its traditional practice but in sync with the trend that began under the new leadership.

This decision is similar to the one taken to introduce the core version of Office apps on iPad before it was launched on Windows.

At the Code Conference held in California last week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella responded to queries pertaining to Microsoft’s iPad decision by saying: "The intent here is to make sure our services are available on all devices. There are going to be Windows devices and there are going to be other devices and we have to make sure our services run on all of them."

The touch-optimised Office suite is expected to be available for Android this year and for Windows in 2015, coinciding with the launch of Windows 9, reported ZDNet.

Microsoft’s focus under Nadella has shifted from "only in-house" to reach out to various platforms.

Office is Microsoft’s best product to experiment with as it is still the company’s strong point and a milch cow.