Back in 2013, CyanogenMod, made the jump to becoming an actual company and their focus since then have not changed. Their company still creates custom versions of Android for a multitude of devices and even though their bold claims of severing ties with Google services, they're still one of the most used custom ROMs out there today.

I still remember back when they first started off as a company they said that Cyanogen OS is the third most popular mobile operating system. They even quoted that their 10 million + install base of Cyanogen OS single handedly beat Microsoft's Windows Phone fair and square.

Well, today the company has reached out to The Verge with an email confirming that Cyanogen Inc. has partnered with Microsoft to bring the entire suite of Microsoft applications to Cyanogen OS.

"This exciting partnership with Microsoft will enable us to bring new kinds of integrated services to mobile users in markets around the world."

This news comes to no surprise because previously there has been reports of the collaboration but neither company confirmed the rumors. Also, as groundbreaking as this sounds, Samsung has already started to pre-load several Microsoft apps onto the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge.

When this collaboration comes in to play later this year, Cyanogen will pre-load select Microsoft apps (Bing, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Microsoft Office) onto their custom version of android. The company just released Cyanogen OS 12 earlier this week so don't expect to see Microsoft apps anytime soon, the earliest should be in Cyanogen OS 13.

From the surface it looks like Microsoft is gaining a lot of ground but that's just the beginning as Microsoft says they are committed to creating native experiences on CyanogenOS. The pre-installed app might be the first step of this partnership and maybe in the future, Microsoft will implement a lockscreen or launcher for CyanogenOS.

"People around the world use Cyanogen's operating system and popular Microsoft services to engage with what matters most to them on their mobile devices" Kirt McMaster, Cyanogen Inc. CEO

SOURCE: THE VERGE