Building a slide deck, pitch, or presentation? Here are the big takeaways:

  • Microsoft announced the launch of new features, including co-authoring, for Office for iOS.
  • Real-time collaboration tools may make Office for iOS more useful and appealing for business professionals.

Office for iOS users will be getting some new features with productivity in mind, Microsoft announced in a Tuesday blog post.

A new co-authoring feature will allow users to work real-time with other team members on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, the post said. Increased collaboration may allow teams to work more efficiently while getting more done. The move could also help Microsoft better compete with the G Suite, which has made major inroads in the enterprise in recent years.

“As they work across their PCs, Macs and mobile devices, they expect an uncompromised experience that is familiar yet optimized for the device they are using,” Jeff Teper, corporate vice president for OneDrive, SharePoint and Office, said in the post.

SEE: Comparison chart: Enterprise collaboration tools (Tech Pro Research)

The co-authoring feature is also available for Office Online and the software’s PC and Mac versions, the post said. Users will be able to access their work by saving to OneDrive or SharePoint.

The option to work together in real time may enable remote workers to interact better with the home base, making it more feasible for companies to hire telecommuters.

Additional new features include the ability to drag and drop files for easier organization and collaboration. The drag and drop option works across the Office apps, allowing users to easily move files to a new file or to OneDrive. Files can also be dropped in SharePoint to quickly share them with a team member.

The OneDrive app has been redesigned for easier use, and now allows previews of over 130 types of files, the post said.

The new features may make Office on iOS more useful for business professionals that currently use it, and may show the software’s value to prospective users.