Microsoft losing $2.5bn a year by holding back iPhone/iPad apps

Microsoft has lost out on billions of dollars by failing to release an Office application dedicated to the iOS platform.

Adam Holt, an analyst at Morgan Stanley has calculated that the software giant could be making $2.5 billion a year via an Office for iPad app.

"Office on iPad could be a several billion dollar opportunity," Holt wrote in a research note.

"While [Microsoft] has resisted offering a full version of Office for the iOS, the company may ultimately decide there is more upside with Office on iPads, particularly if Win tablets fall short of expectations."

Holt noted that Microsoft's Surface RT is set to have sold between 900,000-1 million units in the fourth quarter. He predicted that Microsoft faces a difficult task to gain even a 10 per cent share of the tablet market in by the end of 2013.

"[Microsoft] may open up Office 365 to iOS/Android versus making the application native, which may limit the near-term revenue, but would skirt the payment to Apple [you wouldn't need to sell it through the App Store] and drive greater adoption of Office 365, which has significant long-term benefits,"

The release of an Office app for iPad could still happen, however. Holt noted that Microsoft actually sees a 3-4 time higher attach rate for paid Office on Macs compared to Windows.

"The math is compelling and may drive Microsoft to move Office," he concluded.