CyanogenMod Could Feature Bing, Cortana Under Microsoft Corp Deal

Microsoft Corp. reportedly is not investing in Cyanogen Inc., a company that makes a custom version of Google’s Android software for smartphones and tablets. Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Bloomberg now reports Microsoft will not be part of Cyanogen’s funding round.

Cyanogen reportedly is raising $110 million in a new round of funding, and while Microsoft may not be taking part, the Windows-maker is said to be interested in a different kind of partnership. Microsoft may team up with Cyanogen to make its apps the default on future versions of the popular operating system.

A deal between Microsoft and Cyanogen to preload apps like Bing and Cortana into the next build of the small software company’s CyanogenMod would be interesting, since the custom OS is based on Android. Microsoft already gets paid by companies to license a number of its patents for Android.

CyanogenMod became popular for updating Android phones long after their manufacturers had stopped doing so. The threat that this poses to Google is serious, since it could circumvent the search giant from the mobile and tablet OS into which it has invested a great deal of time and money.

Neither Microsoft nor Cyanogen responded to requests for comment on the round of funding. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that Microsoft had plans for a minority stake in CyanogenMod, when the company was considering a funding round of only $70 million at the time.