Earlier this morning, rumors hit the Internet that a planned update for Microsoft"s iOS SkyDrive app was being delayed due to a disagreement with Apple. The issue that the two companies are reportedly fighting over center on the 30 percent of revenues that Apple takes from all iOS app purchases. Microsoft wants Apple to change this 70/30 split when it comes to selling additional SkyDrive cloud space via the iOS app.
Now AllThingsD.com reports that, according to their own unnamed sources, Microsoft and Apple are also fighting over the same issue when it comes to selling Office 365 subscriptions on iOS devices. The online productivity service was expected to launch for that platform, as well as Android, sometime in 2013. So far, Microsoft has yet to officially confirm an Office 365 launch for iOS.
The article does not specify what kind of changes to the revenue model Microsoft is requesting from Apple, but whatever it is, it seems that Apple doesn"t seem to be interested in changing its long standing 70/30 split on revenues. That was the reason Amazon.com changed its Kindle app for iOS a while back so that sales from iOS products like the iPhone and iPad come from Amazon"s web store, rather than directly from the Kindle app.
AllThingsD.com did receive a comment from Apple, which said:
We’ve designed our rules to be fair and consistent for every developer — free apps and services are distributed for free, paid apps and services provide a revenue share to Apple. We’ve paid out over 6.5 billion dollars to our developer community who have created over 700,000 apps.
Microsoft has so far not commented on this aspect of their issue with Apple.
Source: AllThingsD.com | Image via AllThingsD.com