Microsoft is teaming up with Facebook to push Windows 10's app strategy
Facebook's mega-popular and free React Native tool helps developers build slick mobile apps for iPhone and Android. Wednesday's partnership bring the tool to Windows 10's Universal Windows Platform, too.
For those many developers with existing React Native apps, it means an easier way to bring their apps to Windows 10 and its 270 million-plus customers. For developers already writing code for Windows 10, it means they can integrate all or some of React Native and give their apps some Facebook-powered sheen.
React Native has a huge and thriving community of more than 250,000 developers, Facebook's Christine Abernathy claimed on stage at F8 today. Now, it's easier than ever for them to bring their apps to Windows 10.
That's important to Microsoft, which has been struggling to attract apps to the Windows Store app market. Microsoft has made similar moves towards helping developers bring their existing iPhone and old-school Windows software to Windows 10, too.
Microsoft and Facebook have a long history of collaboration and partnerships. But the latest tie up with Facebook represents yet another example of the lengths the newer, cuddlier Microsoft will go to partner with anyone and everyone if it makes developers happy.