Microsoft ties up with Cyanogen in strategic partnership

After rumours doing the rounds for months that Microsoft would either buy or invest in Cyanogen, the companies confirmed in a joint press release that they had entered into a strategic partnership.

The Cyanogen's Android-based operating system is one of the most popular.

Cyanogen had been highly critical of Google's excessively stringent approach towards contributing developers. Microsoft, on the other hand, has in recent times been trying to capture Google's app market, by opening out its own apps to other platforms, and also developing a Windows 10 app that could be installed on Android phones.

The partnership would see Cyanogen OS phones integrate and distribute Microsoft apps, including Bing, OneDrive, OneNote, Skype, Outlook and Microsoft Office. Microsoft in turn would "create native integrations on Cyanogen OS, enabling a powerful new class of experiences." According to commentators, that pointed to a wide range of possibilities.

Perhaps most importantly, it could be seen as an outright act of war by Microsoft and Cyanogen to take away Android from Google, something Cyanogen had made no bones about.

Cyanogen, a modified version of Android does not rely on the Google Play Store and other Google services.

This model enjoys much popularity in markets like China - where Google Play is nonexistent - and other countries where third-party app stores are already popular.

Microsoft would create custom versions of the apps for Cyanogen OS, similar to the way it created specialised apps for Amazon's Fire OS. Microsoft's apps would not necessarily come pre-installed on the phones and users would also be able to delete the apps they did not want, according to a Cyanogen spokesperson who spoke to Mashable.

"Given the complexity of handset manufacturers, distribution methods, and carriers, there is more than one way MSFT apps can show up," a representative for the company wrote in an email.

"Cyanogen is predicated on user choice with an open operating system that is bringing best in class products and services to consumers. MSFT apps will be surfaced contextually and will always be downloadable."