Microsoft Pushes Samsung Business With New Smartphones

Samsung recently revealed a renewed focus on its B2B operations just days ago, and now fellow technology conglomerate Microsoft will help boost the adoption of Samsung’s business offerings.

According to reports, Microsoft will include pre-loaded business products on the incoming Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge phones. Business buyers of the new Samsung phones will have automatic access to Office 365, Microsoft’s B2B service that includes the Business, Business Premium and Enterprise tools.

Samsung will also include its KNOX security solution, the service recently added to the company’s new B2B-focused unit.

The new tie-up between Microsoft and Samsung will be aimed at individual consumers, too. Reports said buyers of the new Samsung smartphones will automatically have 100 GB of cloud storage through Microsoft OneDrive for two years for free. Samsung handsets will also come pre-loaded with several Microsoft services, though customers will need to pay extra to access premium features, reports said.

“Our goal is to meet the ever-evolving needs of both consumer and business customers and give them more power to discover new mobile experiences,” said Samsung Strategic Marketing Office EVP SangChul Lee. “We believe our suite of premium mobile products coupled with Microsoft’s productivity services will offer users the mobility they need in both their personal and business life.”

The partnership benefits Microsoft, reports said, because the corporation is looking to expand its services beyond Microsoft-only products. The company initially only offered these tools for products running its own operating system, but the rise in iOS and Android OS have forced the company to promote the products elsewhere.

For Samsung, the cross-promotion will help strengthen its newly announced B2B unit, Samsung Business. The South Korean technology firm revealed Monday (March 23) that it would consolidate all of its business-targeted services under the unit, a move the corporation said is in response to the rise of the Internet of Things and corporations around the world that plan to adapt to new technologies.