Cyanogen, Microsoft plan to take Android away from Google?

It seems a bit difficult to digest that Microsoft is investing in Cyanogen, given that Microsoft has its own mobile phone operating system platform. However, sources have confirmed that Microsoft has big plans in crippling Google’s Android arm.

WSJ reported that Microsoft is investing in hot startup firm Cyanogen to weaken Google’s hold on Android. Microsoft has earlier killed its Nokia X project after the complete takeover of the Finnish firm. However, Microsoft still suffers on the mobile platform with just a 3 percent market share in the mobile market, which could be the driving force to consider unconventional steps towards the rivals. The investment of a whopping $70 million is still just a minority share.

Also read: OnePlus dumps CyanogenMod, unveils own OxygenOS

Google’s Android was intended to be an open source operating system, which hardware manufacturers can deploy on their handsets for free. However, Google seems to have put off manufacturers lately by enforcing them to add Google apps and setting the search engine to Google as a default in exchange for access to the search engine, YouTube and other apps in the Play Store. This makes it tougher for Microsoft’s Bing, which is a big competitor to Google Search.

Cyanogen, on the other hand, offers an alternate version of Android, which is free from such restrictions and gives the users a choice of their own.

“We’re going to take Android away from Google,” said Kirt McMaster, Cyanogen’s chief executive, in a brief interview with WSJ last week.

Also read: China to gain official access to Apple’s operating system source codes

Microsoft’s investment in the startup would mean Bing showing up as a default search engine on CyanogenMod operating systems. Cyanogen also made news about cracking a deal with Indian smartphone manufacturer Micromax to replace Android with CyanogenMod OS. Sources who are trailing the information also reveal that Cyanogen will be announcing more such deals in future.

As of now, it is unclear about the actual reason for Microsoft to invest in Cyanogen, but in time, there shall be more updates, which will reveal the actual facts about the Microsoft-Cyanogen deal.