The Bing team that put together a number of "Metro-style" Windows Phone apps is now porting some of those apps to iOS, Android and Amazon devices.
The news comes shortly after the software company said users should expect a number of Bing apps to come to platforms other than Windows Phone in the "coming months." Metro is the code-name of a typography-based design language by Microsoft.
"The apps ... let you customize and organize the information you want according to your interests," said Suzanne Choney from Microsoft News Center in a blog post. "Beautiful, immersive and built from the ground up to work fluidly on each unique platform, the MSN apps feature an unprecedented breadth of content and functionality."
These apps were built from scratch for non-Windows operating systems. Developers even had to create some features that are specific to certain platforms. For example, the MSN Health and Fitness app for iOS allows users to track steps and sync that with Apple's HealthKit.
Microsoft has been busy porting apps to other operating systems. The company recently released functional versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint for the iPhone, allowing users to perform basic editing functions for free. While users have to get an Office 365 subscription for more in-depth features, it's nice to see basic editing and functionality provided at no cost.
The company has also made the Bing search app, OneDrive cloud-storage app and OneNote note-taking app available to iOS, Android and Amazon devices.
In July, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent a memo to employees saying the company was aiming to "reinvent productivity."
"How do we help humans conquer the space/time boundary, both individually and as groups? How do we create tools that get them that digital assist in terms of getting things done?" he asked at an event.
It is likely Microsoft is also aiming at pushing its new Bing apps to drive traffic to its newly designed MSN.com, where users can share favorite apps.
"Best of all, many of these features will roam across all your devices using your Microsoft Account," continued Choney. "Whether it's your Watchlist, your favorite teams and sports, your news topics, your favorite weather locations or your favorite recipes and shopping lists, all your information will be available to you regardless of what device you're on." Watchlist is an app for keeping track of favorite shows and series.
The weather app is currently only available on Android, Amazon and Windows, however it will arrive on iOS within the next few months.
