Microsoft To Invest In Rogue Android Startup Cyanogen

Microsoft is investing in a hot startup that is trying to undermine the dominance of Google in Android.People familiar with the matter say that Microsoft is putting money into cyanogen, which is building a version of the Android mobile operating system outside the auspices of Google.

Microsoft would be a minority investor in a round of about $ 70 million equity financing that values I cyanogen in the high hundreds of millions of people, one of the people said. The person who said the funding round could grow with other strategic investors who have expressed interest in the cyanogen, as they are also willing to reduce the control of Google Android. The identity of the other potential investors could not be learned.Spokes people cyanogen and Microsoft declined to comment.The investment would be surprising, since Microsoft offers its own mobile operating system Windows Phone. But Windows Phone has a market share of only 3%, which may be pushing Microsoft to consider unconventional measures.

It was de código abierto vienen understood Android Operating System UN that hardware manufacturers can implement nep their devices for free. But Google has frustrated manufacturers en recent years, requiring them to characterize Google apps and set Google search vienen default for users, en Change of access to the search engine, YouTube, or millions of applications in its Play Store .

These restrictions make it more difficult for the applications that compete with Google to win the distribution of Android devices. For Microsoft, this DOES A minor exposure for its Bing search engine, which is against the Google search. You could also limit the growth of other Microsoft software products.

A cyanogen offers alternative OS móvil Android free of such restrictions. The company of 80 people claims to have UN volunteer army of 9,000 software developers who work on their A version of Android.We're Going to take a Android from Google, said Kirt McMaster, director ejecutivo de cyanogen, in a brief interview the Last Week. The next day, in an industry event sponsored by Service Technology News de la información, McMaster said cyanogen has collected 100 million for dólares datos. En previously revealed that the company had raised $ 30 million in financing. The company spokesman declined to make McMaster available for this story .

McMaster said more than 50 million people use a version of the Android operating system cyanogen, most of which have been installed at the site of the first operation system.To widespread adoption of your phone faster, cyanogen is working on agreements with hardware manufacturers to install software on the devices. It has recently signed an agreement with Indian manufacturer Micromax mobile smartphones come with software cyanogen and is close to announcing more of these offerings, say people familiar with the matter.A third mobile ecosystem as an alternative to rivals Google and Apple could help Microsoft to better distribution of applications and services in smartphones.

Cyanogen may have a greater chance of Microsoft to build a third mobile ecosystem, says Rajeev Chand, director General Rutberg & Co., an investment bank focused on the mobile phone industry.Separate versions of the Android operating system are already popular, especially in China, where Google has struggled to enter the market. In total, these other versions accounted for 37% of Android shipments worldwide in the third quarter, according to Strategy Analytics.