Microsoft released Office Mobile 6.1, the latest version of its office application suite for mobile devices that includes Microsoft Office Word Mobile, Excel Mobile and PowerPoint Mobile and enables users to manage, create and edit documents while on the go.

The main reason for the upgrade is that Microsoft Office 2007 came with a new Open XML-based file format that was not compatible with other platforms. Now, with Office Mobile 6.1, the Open XML documents can be read on Windows Mobile devices too.

The Open XML-based file format has the advantage to provide improved security and reliability, reduce file size and enhance integration with other sources, therefore making it compatible with Windows Mobile, which is surely a good move on Microsoft's part. Documents based on the Open XML formats can now be accessed by Windows Mobile users thanks to Microsoft's upgrade for Word Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile and Excel Mobile applications. The upgrade allows accessing and editing any Word or Excel file created with Microsoft Office 2007, as well as viewing PowerPoint slideshows.

Besides reading native Microsoft Office 2007 documents, Office Mobile 6.1 brings other improvements too: the ability to view SmartArt in PowerPoint Mobile, the ability to view and extract files from archived folders (in .zip format) and an improved viewing experience for Excel Mobile charts.

Microsoft Office Mobile 6.1 can view e-mail attachments, perform minor edits, share document versions and access documents from a SharePoint server or an SD card. The application suite offers a document viewing experience at a high quality, with edit capabilities and fast page loading.

Users can upgrade for free to Office Mobile 6.1 on their Windows Mobile devices, with the sole condition to have an earlier version of the application suite installed. If not, the full version of Office Mobile 6.1 must be bought.