Microsoft has announced that its software will be soon be preloaded onto some of Lenovo’s Android devices. Productivity apps including Microsoft Office, OneDrive, and Skype will be loaded onto selected Lenovo products running Google’s operating system, the result of a new patent cross-licensing agreement the two companies signed that covers both Lenovo and Motorola devices.
Lenovo owns Motorola
Microsoft has used similar deals many times before, linking up with Samsung, Xiaomi, LG, Sony, Dell, and Asus — among others — to put its apps and services on their Android devices. The details of the Lenovo deal haven’t been published, but such patent cross-licensing agreements mean that Microsoft gives up the right to charge hefty royalties for companies that want to bundle its products, in favor of getting its software in front of as many people as possible — in keeping with Satya Nadella’s new focus on customer engagement and usage.
Motorola owner Lenovo might have slipped down the smartphone manufacturer rankings this year, but the signing of this newest agreement means that you’ll be seeing Microsoft software on devices from most of the biggest tech firms, with the Chinese company still weighing in as the world’s largest PC manufacturer. Lenovo didn’t confirm which of its products would be the first to ship with Microsoft apps preinstalled, but it said that it expected to ship millions of the Android devices over the next several years.