Microsoft releases Microsoft Apps Android app highlighting Microsoft’s Android apps

Yes, that’s right: Microsoft has released an Android app that does nothing but list the apps that the company has pushed to Google’s Windows 10 Mobile rival. But there’s likely more behind this simple app than meets the eye.

Microsoft’s cross-platform strategy has been mentioned millions of times in the last year or so. Pushing Microsoft productivity and other solutions to iOS and Android has been key to maintaining Microsoft’s relevance while Windows Phone (and Windows 10 Mobile) continues to languish. Windows 10 is out and going strong, and Universal Apps continue to release the give some hope that Microsoft’s mobile platform will benefit from the company’s strengths on desktops, notebook, and hybrids.

Nevertheless, Microsoft wants people using its solutions in Android, and so this new app is a thinly veiled attempt to give their own apps some prominence in Google’s Play Store. The app lists over 80 Microsoft apps, ranging from Office apps to Skype to games, search tools, and Garage projects. Clicking on an app simply takes you to the Play Store, where you can install or update it.

In retrospect, it’s rather remarkable that Microsoft has created so many Android apps. Seeing them all in one place is a stark reminder of just how much time and resources Microsoft is putting into its cross-platform strategy.