Microsoft and Zero Shine in App Annie November Index report

Microsoft Word iPhone appApp Annie has released its App Market Index for November. The Index reveals that Microsoft Word and other Microsoft Office apps made a big impact on iOS, while lightweight launchers like Zero climbed the rankings on Google Play.

Microsoft saw downloads surge in November as the company implemented a new mobile strategy for its popular Office productivity suite. Following its launch on the iPad in March, Microsoft unbundled its iPhone Office mobile app into dedicated apps for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

More importantly, the launch also saw Microsoft move to a freemium business model for both the iPhone and iPad. Soon after their iPhone launch on November 7, Microsoft’s Office apps were heavily featured on the iOS app store. The company has also been experimenting with ways to reinvent mobile productivity with the gradual rollout of its new presentation app, Office Sway. These trends, says App Annie, show that leading companies are beginning to take more interest in mobile productivity, which could help platform owners gain a firm foothold in the enterprise.

Lightweight launchers like Sungy Mobiles Zero Launcher flew up Google Play’s download rankings in November. Downloads for Zero were driven by emerging markets, with a large installed base of low-end, memory-constrained devices. The app shot to the top of the download charts in India, Brazil and Thailand. Zero Launcher also makes Sungy Mobile one of the first movers in lightweight launchers, which could help it acquire more first-time smartphone users.

There’s more information about the November index here.