Apple office software in the iWorks?

A small Macintosh software developer has renamed an application it had been calling iWork, lending credence to rumours that Apple plans to introduce office software of the same name.

IGG Software, which has marketed a time-billing application as iWork, has changed the program's name to iBiz. The change, which is reflected on the company's website, follows reports on rumour sites that Apple plans to offer its own suite of word processing and presentation software.

Enthusiast site ThinkSecret reported last week that a product from Apple called iWork would include an updated version of Apple's presentation software, Keynote, and a new word processing program, which the site says will be called Pages. The site predicted Apple would unveil the product at next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.

Such a program would be an interesting move for Apple, which has for years kept its office software ambitions limited, counting instead on Microsoft to produce a Mac version of Microsoft Office.

Having a version of Microsoft Office for the Mac has been a key selling point for Apple as it tries to convince people who use Windows-based machines at work to have a Mac at home. In fact, Apple's website lists the Mac version of Office as reason number eight of 10 to switch to a Mac.

Apple's relationship with Microsoft - at least publicly - has run hot and cold. At times the companies have moved closer, though in recent months Apple has taken a number of shots at its rival, ranging from its Switch campaign, which targeted Windows users, to posters at last year's developer conference that suggested that Microsoft's Longhorn version of Windows would be a copycat of Apple's Tiger release this year.

For the time being, Microsoft appears to be sticking by its Macintosh products, and the company says it is already working on a new version of Office for the Mac.

Scott Erickson, group product manager for Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit, said in a statement to silicon.com sister site CNET News.com: "Our relationship with Apple remains productive and strong. Ninety-two percent of Mac users tell us they need native file compatibility between Mac and Windows - we deliver that with Office for Mac. We're committed to delivering this critical level of compatibility to customers and are well under way on the next versions of Office and Virtual PC for Mac."

Apple representatives were not immediately available for comment.

Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg said that although iWork is still just a rumour at this point, it would not be surprising if Apple released such a product, "once again trying to make sure that their destiny is in their own hands and not in that of a third party."

That said, Gartenberg said Apple likely would not want to lose Microsoft Office for the Mac as a result.

"There's no doubt having a version of genuine Microsoft Office available for the Mac that is regularly updated is one of the reasons that Apple is still popular in a number of markets," he said. "I don't think Apple wants to do anything that would affect that relationship."

One of the key questions would be how Apple positions such a product - whether it is pitched as a low-end successor to AppleWorks or as a high-end product that can rival Microsoft's Office. Gartenberg noted that other rivals to Windows, such as Linux, suffer from not having a program that's fully Office-compatible.