Until Microsoft releases a touch-optimized version of Office for iPad, the next best solution might be the new Remote Desktop app for iOS. Microsoft released the free software on Thursday for iOS and Android, allowing users to remotely connect and control a Windows PC from a phone or tablet. There are a number of uses for such a product but the first one that came to my mind was using Office on an iPad via the Remote Desktop client. Microsoft is working on a version of Office for Apple’s tablet but there’s no release date information yet available. The new software could also find a home in enterprises that have adopted iOS and Android devices to supplement existing PCs. While there have been numerous similar solutions from third parties, it’s nice to see Microsoft starting to support other platforms with this effort. Why it took so long, I don’t know.