• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, March 27, 2014

CEO Satya Nadella has made cloud first, mobile first Microsoft's mantra. He explained the strategy and hinted at the product road map during a press briefing Thursday. Nadella also announced that new Office for Apple iPad products have shifted the focus from Windows-dependent products toward ubiquitous cloud computing from any device.

Office gives Apple iPad users access to apps, such as Excel and Word. Users access and collaborate on the apps through the company's cloud services. Subscribers to Office 356 also have access to apps on Android. Nadella said Read-only versions of the apps are free, but full versions require an Office 365 subscription.

The model will enable consumers and business professionals to access the tools and apps from any device used to connect to the Internet. Nadella said Office for iPad will drive access across the Web from smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. The user interface and content will look similar from any device.

The intersection of mobility and cloud computing will also bring changes for Windows.

The company plans to talk about Windows innovations next week and elaborate on how the operating system fits into Microsoft's agenda. "One question we get: Is this a massive tradeoff for you?" Nadella said. "There is no tradeoff. It's a reality for us. It's not a competitive reality. That's not what motivates us. What motivates us is the reality of our customers."

During the next four weeks, consumers will get a better picture of what it means when Nadella says "cloud first, mobile first."