Microsoft now offering free Office apps

NEW YORK -- Microsoft is now offering free versions of its Office software for iPhones and iPads.

The new updated versions of Word, Power Point and Excel are now available in Apple's App store and are a way for Microsoft to get a foothold in the market for software designed for mobile devices.

Many companies have been offering their titles free - and having users tack on extra for premium features like saving, sharing and sending documents, images and the like.

Microsoft has been slow to join in the "freemium" game, but it's now jumping in and hoping to be a major player as a growing number of workers unshackle themselves from desktops and laptops - and seek to take their work wherever they go.