Late last year, in November, rumors suggested that Microsoft was working on Office for the iPad and the Mac App Store but no solid details surfaced during that time. On Wednesday, The Verge reported that a Microsoft product manager released comments to Czech site IHNED.cz [Google translation] that Microsoft is in fact working to bring Office to iPhone and iPad in March 2013. In its report, the publication noted a press release from the Microsoft’s Czech Republic team that confirms that Office for iOS will be arriving soon.

In addition to Windows, Office will be also available on other operating systems, Windows Phone, Windows RT, Mac OS, Android, iOS and Symbian,” says Microsoft, while separately noting that there will also be a new version of Office Web Apps too. […]

The press release also mentions that Office 2013 will be made available to businesses in December, with a consumer launch scheduled for the end of February 2013. “Office 365 services and other Office products for mobile (phones and tablets) will be released from March 2013,” says Microsoft.

Soon after the announcement, numerous people began to refute the claim, including Microsoft head of PR Frank X. Shaw who mentioned that the Czech statement was not credible.

The information shared by our Czech Republic subsidiary is not accurate. We have nothing further to share.

With all of the rumors popping up on the web since late last year, it is very likely that Office for iOS will be arriving in the March/April timeframe and Shaw is refuting the claims in order to contain the rumors about the arrival of the suite of software to the iOS platform.

{Via MacRumors}

There is some speculation that this tweet is proof that Microsoft is working on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad competitor. And the iPad “Group” is to make strategies for that product, based on iPad analysis. This is quite possible but, the only whiff of that was the ill fated Courier Tablet that was canned by Microsoft some time ago. All their other tablet efforts have simply been in the form of providing modified Windows OSs, with a touch layer, to other manufacturers.

So it’s hard to see what immediate tablet plans Microsoft might have. Although eventually we are sure they’ll try and co-opt one or other manufacturer to make a Windows Tablet, much the way they have “created” the Windows Phone 7 ecosystem by partnering their new mobile OS with hardware manufacturers.

What is far more likely is that Microsoft is planning to produce iPad apps, much like their Mac division produces Microsoft Office for the Macintosh. And much like they have already produced iOS apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

It seems fairly obvious to us that Microsoft is planning to produce some kind of companion app for Microsoft office for the iPad, and quite possibly the emerging Android tablet ecosystem.

When, or if we’ll see these apps is anybodies guess though.

Do you think Microsoft Office for the iPad is on the way? Have your say in the comments…