Cyanogen Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have announced that they are partnering to boost the popular Cyanogenmod OS.
The partnership will see Cyanogen distribute several of Microsoft’s apps and servives by integrating them into it’s custom ROMs for Android devices.
The apps include Bing services, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Microsoft Office.
This what Cyanogen’s CEO, Kirt McMaster, had to say about the deal:
“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. This exciting partnership with Microsoft will enable us to bring new kinds of integrated services to mobile users in markets around the world.”
Microsoft’s Executive Vice President, Peggy Johnson, also had a few words about the partnership:
“We aspire to have our tools within arm’s reach of everyone, to empower them in all aspects of their lives. This partnership represents another important step towards that ambition. We’ll continue to deliver world-class experiences across productivity and communications on Windows, and we’re delighted that Cyanogen users will soon be able to take advantage of those same powerful services.”
Cyanogen claims that it is working towards build an open Android Operating System. A few months ago, Cyanogen’s outspoken CEO even made a far fetched claim about the company’s plans to steal Android from Google.
Back in March, Cyanogen announced that it is replacing the Gmail app in its ROM, with the Boxer email app. The recently released Cyanogen OS 12 for the OnePlus One came with the new Boxer app.
So with that in mind, its deal with Microsoft is probably an Anti-Google move. Cyanogen says Google isn’t open because, it comes with a lot of its apps pre-installed. Users aren’t offered a choice, as pre-installed apps cannot be removed without rooting.
What Cyanogen fails to understand is they are doing the exact same thing as Google.How is pre-installing Microsoft apps on a ROM any different? Of course most Cyanogenmod users root their phones, and can freeze or remove the apps, but pre-loading apps is not a good move. Not everyone is going to use the apps.
Both Google and Cyanogen need to understand this, and stop pre-loading these bloatware.
Thanks Krishnan for the tip.
