Apples announcement of two new iPads came as no great surprise to anyone, but it also revealed updates to its iWork and iLife app suites, which were less expected and, arguably, more important.

The iWork productivity apps – Pages, Numbers and Keynote – and iLife creativity apps – iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand – have all undergone an iOS 7-friendly redesign, with each receiving a new UI and features. All apps have been updated to work with the 64-bit A7 chip and are integrated with iCloud to support real-time collaboration. 

The updates are available for free to existing customers, rather than Apples usual strategy of charging for major software updates.

“The news was more about software than hardware,” comments Mubaloo founder & CEO Mark Mason. “By making productivity suites free across iPad, iPhone and Mac, Apple is making its biggest play for the enterprise market ever. Its new software will help companies to become more creative, more productive and more collaborative. Whether employees are on the move or in the office, Apple is letting them do the work they need to do.”