Samsung to pre-install Microsoft apps on Android tablets

Microsoft's Office apps will be pre-installed in some Samsung tablets running Google's Android system, extending an agreement to put some Microsoft apps on the new Samsung Galaxy S6 phone.

The move is the latest in Microsoft's efforts to get its cloud-enabled software into the hands of as many customers as possible, regardless of platform or device.

Microsoft said Samsung will pre-install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype and its note-taking and cloud storage apps on certain tablets in the first half of this year.

Customers can use the apps free of charge but must pay for premium features.

Additionally, businesses that purchase devices through Samsung’s business-to-business sales channels will have access to three versions of Office 365 — Business, Business Premium and Enterprise — coupled with Samsung’s KNOX security solution.

The companies said in February the new Samsung Galaxy S6 phone would be pre-installed with OneNote, OneDrive and Skype.

In the past, Microsoft preferred to pair its lucrative Office applications with its ubiquitous Windows operating system, but with the rise of mobile computing Microsoft has been working hard to make its software available to users of Apple's iOS and Google's Android, which dominate the tablet and smartphone markets.