cloudonEarlier this week, stealth startup CloudOn released a free iPad app that aimed to bring the functionality of Microsoft Office to the iPad. One day later, the company declared the app "sold out" and pulled it until they could expand capacity.

It has since been relaunched for some users, and will be opening up to more over time. In a post about the first day of CloudOn's public availability, the company shares some additional information about its privacy and security policies.

We enable you to be productive without overstepping our boundaries as a platform. Our privacy policy can be found at: www.cloudon.com/legal/privacy. We follow this privacy policy diligently across every part of our system.

From a security standpoint, none of your files are stored permanently on any of our systems. Your files are pulled only when you need them. Once you’ve finished editing them, they are saved back to Dropbox and wiped from our systems. We encrypt your credentials and also have 256-bit encryption between our servers and your client. We take pains to audit our security processes and improve them on a regular basis.

To determine if the application is available for download and if the service is active, visit the Status page on CloudOn's website. The CloudOn for iPad app is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

arkitect Avatar
172 months ago
Back in stock, I suppose. Silly marketing tactics.

I woldn't be quite so cynical.

There may have been bandwidth issues…
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bse3 Avatar
172 months ago
It's just a VNC or RDP connection to their server, where an actual instance of MS Office runs. I don't like that, because that means that all files I edit would be on their computers at some point. Plus access to my derpbox.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Amazing Iceman Avatar
172 months ago
It's just a VNC or RDP connection to their server, where an actual instance of MS Office runs. I don't like that, because that means that all files I edit would be on their computers at some point. Plus access to my derpbox.
Of course it has to be something like that. What were you expecting? A MS Office version for for HTML, JAVA or PHP? It has to be hosted somewhere.

Regarding security... well, I guess some level of trust has to exist. If you think about it, your files are exposed every time you send them via email.

And you trust Dropbox to store your files, right? How do you know they are not going to read them or steal your personal information?

Plus, your files are not even safe inside your own computer, considering it's exposed to the internet, and other people in your environment. Plus most people don't use a password or have their computers log in automatically when started.

I don't plan to use this service 24/7, as I run iWork on my iPad and I'm happy with the results, plus I can always access my MAC via LogMeIn, but it could be a day server in some cases.
Score: 0 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coder12 Avatar
172 months ago
CloudOff has just been turned ...

ON :)
Score: -1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turtle777 Avatar
172 months ago
I've given up on this CloudOn thing. Too slow, too unintuitive UI.

After trying to figure out for 15 minutes how to CLOSE a document that I had opened, I gave up. How the hell can you make an app where closing a document is so hidden and obscured ?

-t
Score: -3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

iOS 19 to Have Some of the 'Biggest' Design Changes in iPhone's History

Sunday March 16, 2025 10:35 am PDT by
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
Bent iPhone Air Feature

Apple Canned Larger iPhone 17 Air Model Over Fears of Bendgate 2.0

Monday March 17, 2025 4:07 am PDT by
Apple prototyped a larger ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the device because of fears that it could be susceptible to bending, according to a new report. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter: When it first started work on the phone, it prototyped a device with a 6.9-inch screen — matching...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Apple's First Foldable iPhone Estimated to Cost Nearly Twice as Much as iPhone 16 Pro Max

Monday March 17, 2025 6:42 am PDT by
In an investor research note today with British bank Barclays, analyst Tim Long said Apple's first foldable iPhone could have a starting price in the $2,300 range in the United States, which would make it by far the most expensive iPhone model ever. If the first foldable iPhone starts at $2,299, that means it would cost nearly twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199. ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro Already Rumored to Have Five New Features

Tuesday March 18, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around a year and a half away from launching, there are already some early rumors about the devices. Below, we recap some key iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. Under-Screen Face ID In April 2023, display industry analyst Ross Young shared a roadmap showing that iPhone 17 Pro models would feature under-display Face ID. In May 2024, however, Young said ...
General iOS Mail Feature

iOS 18.3.2 Broke iCloud Mail Delivery

Monday March 17, 2025 3:31 pm PDT by
The iOS 18.3.2 update that Apple released last week appears to have broken iCloud Mail for some users. There are multiple complaints on Reddit and the MacRumors forums from users who say that iCloud Mail is not able to push new iCloud emails to their iPhones after the iOS 18.3.2 update. Affected users say that despite having the correct settings enabled, new iCloud emails are not showing up...
iphone 16 pro models 1

All Four iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Upgraded 24-Megapixel Front Camera and More

Monday March 17, 2025 7:50 pm PDT by
All four iPhone 17 models launching later this year will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according to analyst Jeff Pu. In a research note today with investment firm GF Securities, Pu shared a chart in which he reiterated that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with a 24-megapixel front camera. By comparison, all four ...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Start at $899 With Surprisingly Good Battery Life, Camera Control, and More

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:05 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today shared some new details about the rumored iPhone 17 Air. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said he was told that the device may start at roughly $899 in the U.S., which means that it would occupy the same price point as the iPhone 16 Plus. This would make sense, as it has been widely rumored that the Air model will take over the Plus model's spot in the iPhone...