Sony and LG will begin preinstalling some of Microsoft's biggest apps on their Android tablets, making them available to new buyers straight out of the box. Those apps include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, OneNote, and OneDrive. That gives Skype, Office, and Microsoft's cloud services an important position, putting them right at the fingertips of new Android tablet owners who more than likely will be interested in finding apps to help them get work done. Microsoft is well aware of this, which is why it's been making these app distribution deals to try to gain a hold on mobile. It's also a bit of a bet that Android tablets will eventually take off.

In addition to Sony and LG, Microsoft is also announcing 18 other partners today, including Haier and a number of smaller manufacturers, bringing its total partner count up to 31. Microsoft previously made deals with Samsung, Dell, and Pegatron to have these apps preinstalled on tablets. A number of apps also come preinstalled on the Galaxy S6. The exact business agreement between Microsoft and these manufacturers isn't detailed, but Microsoft says that it opens up "new revenue streams" for its partners. LG is supposed to begin including the apps in an upcoming tablet, and Sony will add them to the Z4 tablet within the next few months.