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# Microsoft, Android, and Frenemies
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/microsoft-android-and-frenemies/
- Published: 2012-05-01T10:18:15.000Z
- Updated: 2025-08-26T23:52:24.000Z
- Description: In the Age of the Platform, bedfellows are beyond strange.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Platforms, Strategy, Android, Frenemies, Google, Microsoft, The Age of the Platform

Microsoft just signed a deal in which it will [effectively make money off Android](https://mashable.com/2012/04/25/microsoft-pegatron-patent-deal?ref=philsimon.com). From the Mashable piece:

It may seem strange that Microsoft is licensing Android and Chrome patents when both of those products are managed by [Google](https://mashable.com/category/google/?ref=philsimon.com). But Microsoft holds many patents that relate directly to technologies used in the Android operating system and Chrome browser, and the company makes hundreds of millions of dollars every year from its licensing agreements with various manufacturers.

Strange? That's beyond an understatement. Expect unholy alliances like these to continue to proliferate.

## Simon Says

In the Age of the Platform, the line between friend and enemy hasn't just been blurred; it has been obliterated.