News

Microsoft Inks Office Bundling Deals with More Android OEMs

• By Gladys Rama
• May 27, 2015

Microsoft has added 20 more OEMs to the roster of Android hardware partners that have agreed to pre-install Windows apps on their devices.

The new OEMs, which include global heavyweights Sony and LG, will bundle Microsoft's apps for Word, Excel, OneDrive, Skype, PowerPoint and OneNote with their upcoming Android tablets, according to Microsoft's announcement on Tuesday.

Besides Sony and LG, the new Android OEMs include regional manufacturers Axdia (Germany), Cube (China), DL (Brazil), General Procurement (United States), Grupo Nucleo (Argentina), Haier (China), Inco (Mexico), Ionik (Germany), Iview (United States and Latin America), Multilaser (Brazil), Noblex (Argentina), Vulcan Electronics (Mexico), Philco (Argentina), Positivo (Brazil), Prestigio (EMEA), Teclast (China), TMAX Digital (North America) and Wortmannn (Germany).

The 20 OEMs announced Tuesday join 11 others, including Dell and Samsung, that already agreed to similar bundling deals with Microsoft in March. In its announcement Tuesday, Microsoft suggested that agreements with even more Android OEMs are in the works.

Microsoft has made several recent overtures to users and developers of other major device platforms. For instance, Microsoft announced separately on Tuesday that Windows 10 will launch with a "Phone Companion app" that will let a Windows 10 PC user access their files and apps on iOS and Android smartphones. The company also introduced Universal Windows Platform "bridges" at its recent Build conference, which would enable Android and iOS developers to extend their apps to run on Windows.

Nick Parker, corporate vice president of the Microsoft OEM division, described the Office bundling deals as another "cornerstone" of Microsoft's cross-platform strategy.

"By pre-installing Microsoft software and services solutions on Android tablets, our partners are able to increase the value of those devices by delivering the rich productivity experiences customers want," he said in a prepared statement. "In addition, partners will be able to take advantage of opportunities to realize new revenue streams."