Microsoft has announced that it is partnering with Acer to preinstall its apps and services on Android devices manufactured by the Taiwanese company. From the second half of this year, select Acer smartphones and tablets will come preloaded with Microsoft’s suite of productivity tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote,OneDrive, and Skype.
ST Leiw, President of Acer Smart Products Business Group stated “We’re excited to partner with Microsoft to provide enhanced mobile productivity to our products. By integrating the Microsoft software suite, Acer customers will enjoy productivity on-the-go along with the familiar computing experience on their smartphones and tablets.”
In a post on Microsoft’s official blog, Nick Parker, Corporate Vice President, Original Equipment Manufacturer Division, Microsoft, announced that the company now had 74 hardware partners who are making its productivity applications and services available on their Android phones and tablets. He says that these manufactures either already offer, or will soon offer, Android devices that come preloaded with Microsoft’s suite of services. Parker mentions Android powered devices from a number of manufacturers like the LG G Pad 2, Samsung Galaxy S6, and Sony Xperia Z4 as examples of devices that come with Microsoft’s services.