The startup that wants to take Android 'away from Google' just struck a deal with Microsoft

Cyanogen's official Facebook page

Cyanogen, the startup that's working to make a more "open" version of Android, just announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft that would put its most popular apps on Cyanogen's operating system, the company announced on Thursday.

This means that phones running on Cyanogen's software will now come with Bing, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Microsoft Office out of the box.

The move comes months after The Wall Street Journal and The Information reported that Microsoft had considered investing in Cyanogen, but the company opted to strike a partnership with the company instead.

The partnership makes a lot of sense for both companies. Getting access to apps like those offered by Microsoft gives Cyanogen's Android a bit more leverage to compete with Google's Android, which will likely be more popular in emerging markets. At the same time, it gives Microsoft yet another means to distribute its own mobile services.

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