It is no secret that Microsoft and Samsung have a love-hate relationship.
Despite having had a fractious past, Microsoft and Samsung have recently appeared keen to kiss and make-up. Microsoft apps now come pre-packaged with new Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S6, and following a new deal this state of affairs is set only to continue.
Currently, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype come pre-installed on all new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge models, but soon Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype will be provided with select new Samsung Android tablets.
There are two sides to this story. The first concerns the relationship between Samsung and Redmond. Microsoft, through strategic patenting, makes a small profit on every Samsung device sold, leading some to claim that this is more profitable than the firm’s Windows Phone venture. Samsung doesn’t exactly like this, having taken Microsoft to court several times over the issue. Regardless, in recent months, both firms have come down from a high and mighty position in their respective fields and have both been forced to make sacrifices and work together in order to survive.
The other side concerns Android and business. To date, businesses have avoided Android, citing it as too unsafe. To tackle this, Samsung has worked through a series of strategic partnerships, most recently working with Blackberry in order to enhance its security offering through KNOX. Working with Microsoft can be seen as the next step in enhancing its enterprise and business chops, through improving its productivity offerings exponentially.
This fits in well with the ‘new’ Microsoft’s desire to be seen by as many eyes as possible, with Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President of Business Development within the firm stating,
“Our partnership with Samsung is emblematic of our efforts to bring the best of Microsoft’s productivity services to everyone, on every device, so people can be productive wherever, however and whenever they want”
This is the latest step in Redmond opening itself to the world, but make no mistake, this is a marriage of convenience.
What do you think of Microsoft’s closer relationship with Samsung? Let us know in the comments below.
Further reading: Blackberry, Galaxy S6, Knox, Microsoft, Office 365, Samsung, Windows 10
