Frenemies? Microsoft SkyDrive Goes Cross-Platform with Android and Apple Devices

Microsoft’s SkyDrive online storage service is now available from Android smartphones and tablets. And it already supported iPhones, iPads, and Macs. All this means that you don’t need to use a Windows-based system to manage your SkyDrive files. Heck, you can even edit Office documents on your SkyDrive folder with the free Office Web Apps Preview.

If you’re starting to feel like you’re seeing a new side of Microsoft, you’re not alone. From the portable Surface and social network-savvy Windows 8 to cross-platform cloud services, Microsoft is working hard to go where you go, and that means getting friendly (or, at least, compatible) with the likes of Apple and Google.

We’ll likely get a better look at Microsoft’s master plan as Window 8 launches and picks up steam, but for the moment, we’re intrigued by investor Charlie Kindel’s take on Microsoft’s new moves, as highlighted recently in Xconomy. Kindel sees a subscription-based revenue model centering around cloud services for Microsoft’s future. And to do that, he points out, Microsoft needs to support companies like Apple. Check out Xconomy for more of Kindel’s take and video of his talk.