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Samsung switches to Microsoft Word following visit by Satya Nadella

Samsung switches to Microsoft Word following visit by Satya Nadella

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Samsung's in-house software is making way for Word

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After 20 years of using its own office software, Samsung has finally given in and decided to adopt Microsoft's ubiquitous Word. From January 1st, Samsung Electronics will start using Word throughout its offices, citing its almost universal compatibility as the reason to switch away from the in-house JungUm Global software. This change comes a week after a meeting in Korea between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-Yong.

The high-level discussions will have been aimed at warming up relations between the two big companies in the wake of Microsoft filing a patent lawsuit against Samsung in early August. Today's announcement from Samsung could be a signal that the conversation went well — or it could be just a bit of belated pragmatism. It certainly suggests there are no hard feelings over the Android royalties dispute that has been dragging on ever since Microsoft announced its acquisition of Nokia.

Nadella's visit to Korea also included meetings with government officials as well as leaders from LG. A planned Microsoft data center in Busan is expected to bring in somewhere in the region of $5.2 billion in investment for Korea, and Nadella is reported to have made the trip to finalize the deal. As with Samsung, the Microsoft chief's talks with LG are said to have related to extending and improving collaboration, this time with a focus on products in the broad and growing Internet of Things category of connected home devices.