Microsoft apps and services will be bundled with Cyanogen based devices

Jos

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Cyanogen is the most popular custom ROM for Android. But despite building an entire business based on Google’s mobile platform, the company has been looking to distance itself from Google by having their version as a completely independent OS. Of course, this means losing services like Gmail and Google Maps, but the company is turning to another ally to make up for it.

Today Cyanogen announced that they’ve entered a strategic partnership with Microsoft to have some of their apps and services “natively integrated” into Cyanogen OS. The distribution arrangement will include Bing services, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Microsoft Office.

"People around the world use Cyanogen's operating system and popular Microsoft services to engage with what matters most to them on their mobile devices," said Kirt McMaster, CEO of Cyanogen Inc. "This exciting partnership with Microsoft will enable us to bring new kinds of integrated services to mobile users in markets around the world."

Earlier this year reports claimed that Microsoft was making an investment in Cyanogen. While neither company confirmed or denied this, it’s clear that the two have things to gain from working together. 

For Cyanogen, getting access to Microsoft apps and services will give its forked version of Android a bit more leverage to compete with Google's Android. Meanwhile, with Windows struggling to gain any significant market share in mobile, Cyanogen provides another means for Microsoft to distribute its services. In fact, that’s a strategy the company has been pursuing aggressively as of late, securing bundling deals with Samsung and Dell, while also making popular apps like Office available for free on iOS.

The companies didn't say how soon the integration might be completed. Cyanogen just launched its Lollipop-based Cyanogen OS 12 earlier this week.

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Thanks for letting cash money convince you to cripple your OS, Cyanogen. <3
 
This article should be titled: CM, one step ahead for productivity.

And anyone who says otherwise is full of horse waste!
 
Luckely this article has mistaken a few facts (but its clearly not the only newssite that has so its probably not their fault). I say luckely because all these newsreports was really upsetting me and made me look for alternatives to CM!

1. Using CM does not mean that you loose Gmail/Google maps/Play Store (and all the available apps) or any other Google application. BUT, it is not available as default in the ROM. You will need to add it yourself. Most users are probably familiar with this allready.

2. You will not be forced to have Microsoft applications on your phone (luckely!). See the annoncement on Android Central: http://androidcentral.com/cyanogens...des-removable-apps-and-contextual-suggestions
 
Ok so now I'm wondering, why would anyone not want to have Office on their phones? I mean if you are a kid who won't be checking into documents or whatnot I can understand, but... there is no real alternative to Microsoft's FREE Office solution, unless you want files to loose their special formatting. Outlook for Android is getting pretty good, still some things missing but it's the best exchange app I've used for Android. The rest meh, I don't care.
 
Ok so now I'm wondering, why would anyone not want to have Office on their phones? I mean if you are a kid who won't be checking into documents or whatnot I can understand, but... there is no real alternative to Microsoft's FREE Office solution, unless you want files to loose their special formatting. Outlook for Android is getting pretty good, still some things missing but it's the best exchange app I've used for Android. The rest meh, I don't care.
That's because all the users here commenting negatively about Microsoft have some sort of beef to pick with them, oh and that Google is somehow a saint that can do no wrong, or some such hogwash, or a favourite that keeps reoccurring about Linux. As if open source > business supported and funded, that's my opinion on the matter. The truth of the matter is that they actually have no, "REAL", reason for why they hate, and pointing it out to them makes them angrier. I for one am actually thankful that Microsoft is now starting to spread onto other platforms, it encourages healthy competition something Google sorely needs in this space as they have the biggest of heads at the moment. That's something Microsoft had not so long ago, but again I am grateful that they for the most part no longer suffer from it, but Google seems to have caught that "bug".
 
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