Apple looks to Microsoft for enterprise iPad sales boost

CEO Tim Cook hopes Office for iPad will see device sales to businesses soar

Apple has pinned its hopes of an iPad sales surge in the enterprise on Microsoft Office, but said its rival should have made the decision to offer the suite on its products sooner.

At the end of March, Microsoft announced its Office products would be available on iPad – something users had been crying out for – and within the first fortnight 12 million Office for iPad apps had been downloaded.

On a second-quarter earnings call last night, Apple's chief executive Tim Cook (pictured) said Microsoft's arrival in the App Store could be the beginning of an iPad sales boost in the enterprise space.

"I think having [Office] on iPad is good, and I wholeheartedly welcome Microsoft to the App Store to sell Office," he said on the call transcribed by Seeking Alpha.

"Our customers are clearly responding in a good way... so I do think it helps us, particularly in the enterprise area.

"There are a lot of alternatives out there from a productivity point of view - some of which we brought to the market – some of which many, many innovative companies have brought. But I do see that Office is still a very key franchise in the enterprise, in particular."

Cook added that Microsoft's move was better late than never: "I believe if it had been done earlier, it would have been even better for Microsoft, frankly."

iPad sales suffered in Apple's second quarter, with shipments reaching only 16.4 million units, down from 19.5 million a year ago – a 16 per cent drop.

But the declining iPad sales were offset by surging demand for iPhones after unit shipments jumped 17 per cent to 43.7 million over the same period.

For Apple's second quarter, which ended on 29 March, net income jumped seven per cent year on year to $10.2bn (£6.08bn) on sales which rose five per cent to $45.6bn.