Apple’s iCloud for iWork beta is now available to the public, following a period of testing, where this service has become broadly available. Initially, only developers had access, but in July, some non-developers began receiving invites. Now, any user with an Apple ID can test out iWork ahead of its official fall launch by visiting iCloud.com and signing in.
The company first announced the launch of iWork for iCloud at this year’s WWDC event in June, noting then that the iCloud-enabled suite would include support for previously native-only apps Numbers (spreadsheets), Pages (word processing), and Keynote (presentations). The idea with iWork is to combine the best of both worlds – native and cloud applications – into one package. This move will help Apple compete in the enterprise, where employees often use a combination of devices, including desktop and laptop computers, as well as smartphones and tablets. The iWork for iCloud apps support Safari 6.0.3 or later, Chrome 27.0.1 or later, and Internet Explorer 9.0.8 or later, on both Macs and PCs. Users can create their documents via the web, then they are automatically synced to other Apple devices, including iPads and iPhones. During this beta trial period the apps are free to try out by anyone. Apple is preparing to announce a new iPhone on September 10, so there will be more information about the iWork for iCloud by then.
