Select Lenovo Android devices will ship with Office and Skype preloaded

One user’s bloatware is another’s feature. And really, depending on where you fall on Microsoft productivity software, this could go either way, really. Lenovo announced today that it’ll be preloading the software giant’s offerings on future handsets – namely Office, Skype and OneDrive.

No word on specific hardware, only that the deal includes “select” Android devices, though from the sound of it, Motorola will be included in the action, as part of a “patent cross-licensing agreement” that includes the one-time Google-owned smartphone brand that is now firmly under Lenovo control.

The deal means the Chinese hardware company will be able to load up MS apps without paying royalty fees. For Microsoft it means, among other things, it’ll get its apps on some of the “millions” of devices Lenovo plans to ship globally over the next several years.

It’s a decided leg up for the software giant that has struggled to make a lasting imprint on the mobile space, and for Lenovo, which has made a name for itself with business-focused lines like the ThinkPad, it means a strong push in the world of work-oriented smartphones.