Office for iPad will reportedly headline a March 27 Microsoft event

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The arrival of Microsoft Office for iPad has been rumored for some time now, but its unveiling may be nigh.

According to sources speaking with The Verge, Microsoft will introduce a tablet app similar to Office for iPhone during an event March 27.

Invitations to an event hosted by CEO Satya Nadella that day are making the rounds. It will be a cloud- and mobile-focused affair, and it sounds like Office for iPad will be a headlining announcement.

It's curious timing since the company's Build conference kicks off April 2, but it appears Microsoft wants to drum up attention and set the stage for its developer conference by dropping a big bit of news beforehand.

What Office for iPad will bring

As The Verge tells it, the iPad version of Office will fall in step with its iPhone counterpart. To edit, users will need an Office 365 subscription.

Document creation and editing are reportedly supported in the Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps. As for the interface and other features, don't look for anything too different from the iPhone original.

For Nadella, who was named Steve Ballmer's replacement in February, this will be his first major press conference as Microsoft's chief executive. The unveiling of Office for iPad will underline the strategy he's laid out since his appointment was made public; Microsoft is adopting a cloud first, mobile first mantra.

News of the event and possible Office for iPad unveiling follows Microsoft's release of OneNote for Mac.

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