Microsoft on Monday announced a new and improved deal with Samsung to pre-load Microsoft Office apps on many of Samsung’s latest Android tablets.
Microsoft courts Android device makers
Additionally, Microsoft announced that it had lined up 11 other Android device makers to do the same, including Dell. The apps in question include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive, and voice calling app Skype.
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This follows an agreement Microsoft and Samsung announced last month, in which Samsung would load a selection of Microsoft cloud apps on its flagship Android phones, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, which were announced last month at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
It is quite a novel way for Microsoft to attack its arch rival Google – the company that controls the Android mobile operating system and gives it away free to device manufacturers. Google makes its money from Android by integrating search into the devices, and getting a slice of the cake when users buy apps, and by encourage those users to use their smartphones with its other paid services like Google Apps.
Microsoft won’t however be stopping Google from making money with Android, however it has now got a foot in the door with the Samsung deal.
SOURCE: Microsoft
Larry Banks is a keen follower of technology and finance. He has worked for a variety of online publications, writing about a diverse range of topics including mobile networks, patents, and Internet video delivery technologies.