Samsung and Microsoft strike patent deal, royalties show companies can play nice
Microsoft and Samsung Electronics have struck a deal today where Microsoft has agreed to share its patents with Samsung, in return for royalties on each Samsung Android handset which uses the patents sold. This news comes as the patent battle between Apple and Samsung intensifies and this recent get together between good old Sammy and MS just goes to show how companies can work together, without getting overly rough and spoiling the party.
In the new deal, Samsung has also agreed to work more closely with Microsoft on its Windows handsets of the future.
Microsoft’s own operating system, Windows Phone 7, hasn’t sold as well as Steve Ballmer would have hoped so far (he said it, not us) and this recent deal with Samsung will mean that Microsoft will be able to reel in some tidy amounts of cash, whilst exploiting its powerful control over the technology ecosystem at the same time.
Moving on to Samsung, and they have just announced an update to their best-selling, all-powerful Galaxy S II in the name of Galaxy S II HD. What’s more, Samsung’s next generation Windows Phone 7 handset, the Omnia W, was also announced recently. This handset should be very nice indeed as the first generation handset Samsung produced with WP7 on it, the Omnia 7, was a cracking piece of kit and it actually still is.
PS: Did you like this post? If so, be sure to leave a comment below.