Microsoft and Cyanogen confirm tie-up to obliterate Google’s Android operating system
After months of rumors that Microsoft was financially leaning on Cyanogen to include Windows Apps on the CyanogenMOD program, yesterday both the companies confirmed the the news was indeed true.
Earlier it had been rumoured that the talks between Microsoft and Cyanogen failed on funding issues but now both the companies have entered into a strategic partnership, a joint press release on Thursday, stated.
Cyanogen is best known for its bloatware free and customisable Android ROMs is quite popular among Android smartphone buyers and modders while Microsoft has been getting its act together with the latest Windows 10 OS which it says will be a unique cross platform runtime environment. Microsoft has been trying to capture the Google’s App market share by inviting Xiaomi to build a Windows 10 ROM for Android devices, which is said to be beta testing phase.
According to the terms of the ‘strategic partnership’, CyanogenMOD runย smartphones will integrate Microsoft apps like Bing, OneDrive, OneNote, Skype, Outlook and Microsoft Office. In return, Microsoft will “create native integrations on Cyanogen OS, enabling a powerful new class of experiences,” whatever that means.
This week Cyanogen released version 12 of its OS, based on Android 5.0 Lollipop.ย The CyanogenMOD OS is used by many smartphone manufacturers for their smartphones like OnePlus One, Alcatel OneTouch’s Hero 2+ and Micromax’s Yu Yureka.
The news of this strategic tie up is like to offend two parties, Google and CyanogenMOD community. The community is already up in arms against the deal. Have a look at the tweets being fired by Cyanogen fans
..because when I use Cyanogen to escape Android the first thing I think of is Bing, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Microsoft Office
— davi (((?))) ?? (@daviottenheimer) April 16, 2015
@Ohthatflo Yes.
Crapware = bad software.
Bloatware = software you don't need.
If Samsung and Google already installed productivity apps— Max (@Max_TWS) April 16, 2015
The other party in the opposite ring, Google is not likely to take this matter lying down. Cyanogen. after all, is based on the operating system created by Google. It will be a situation of biting the hand that feeds for Cyanogen and company. Google may opt for legal recourse in the matter, not that Cyanogen and Microsoft lawyers havent already thought about it.
Lets see how the all out war between Google on the one side and Cyanogen + Microsoft on the other side turns out.