China's Xiaomi has partnered with Microsoft to equip the smartphone company's devices with software from the U.S. IT giant.

Xiaomi will pre-install Microsoft's Office suite and Skype instant messaging software on its smartphones and tablet computers starting in September, according to a statement released by Xiaomi on Wednesday.

The partnership will give Xiaomi users a more efficient and convenient working experience on mobile devices, the statement added.

The two companies also agreed on cooperation for patent cross-licensing, mutual licensing and patent transfer.

The move is expected to help boost Xiaomi's competitiveness in the global market. According to tech consultancy Gartner, Samsung and Apple are the world's top two smartphone makers, with a combined marketshare of 38 percent. Huawei is third with 8.3 percent, followed by two other Chinese brands Oppo and Xiaomi. Endi

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