Microsoft recently announced the reorganization of the company’s development teams, creating an Android Microsoft Platform and Experiences (AMPX) team specifically for Android.
Microsoft has offered its products for both Android and iOS mobile operating systems for many years, but the Android development team was previously lumped together with the iOS team. Now, the company is splitting off Android app development and forming a dedicated team that works directly with Panos Panay, the company’s product manager. The new team will be responsible for Surface Duo OS, SwiftKey, Microsoft Launcher, Phone Link, and other Android products.
The move will make Android an important platform for Microsoft and reflects the company’s shift in focus. Microsoft”are having big ideas for Android and Windows,” will far exceed the current level of integration between the two platforms. In fact, Microsoft hopes “positioning Android smartphones as an extension to Windows PC.”
During the CES 2022 event, Google announced a number of new features to improve the integration between Android and Windows, including message synchronization, file sharing, Bluetooth accessory sharing, etc. Meanwhile, Microsoft has added the ability to run Android apps in Windows 11.
It seems that Microsoft and Google both realize that they hold the key to more effectively competing with Apple’s tightly integrated experience. Microsoft has the computer ecosystem, while Google has the smartphone ecosystem.
Despite the obvious strengths of the two companies in their respective fields, both have struggled to develop complete ecosystems of their own. Microsoft’s smartphone efforts never gained the traction they needed, and Google’s Chrome OS couldn’t be as popular as Windows. However, both companies are working to better integrate Android and Windows, creating a challenge to Apple’s ecosystem.
Reference: AA
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