REDMOND, Wash., and BEIJING — April 28, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. and Beijing Komoxo Mobile Software Inc. today announced a patent licensing agreement on text-input technologies for mobile devices. The licensed patents allow Komoxo to integrate Microsoft’s statistical language modeling methods into its next-generation text-input engine for reduced keypad and touch-screen devices, and deliver new mobile innovations to consumers around the world.
Through the agreement, Microsoft’s patented technology would be used in Komoxo’s innovative text-input solution to improve appropriate word recommendations and selections during texting and to enhance spell-checking features for mobile devices. For example, many mobile devices combine text and numeric input keys onto one keypad. The technology being licensed by Komoxo will enable devices using the technology to recognize and recommend words faster and with more accuracy based on individual user experience. This new-generation text-input solution will significantly improve the text-input consumer experience, especially for one- hand text input in mobile scenarios on growing popular “reduced” keypad and touch-screen mobile devices.
This patent licensing agreement is the first of its kind between Microsoft and a China-based company and a testament to both the quality of Microsoft’s patent portfolio and its commitment to working with China-based companies. The agreement will accelerate research and development, foster greater technology collaboration, and enhance Komoxo’s value proposition to its customers based in China and around the world.
“We are pleased that Komoxo has chosen the advanced text-input technologies developed at Microsoft Research to expand its offerings around the world,” said Horacio Gutierrez, vice president of Intellectual Property (IP) and Licensing at Microsoft. “We believe this agreement is a shining example of our commitment to enhancing consumer experience through IP collaboration and an important step in working more collaboratively with companies in China to help develop a more vibrant IT industry.”
Komoxo specializes in multilingual comprehensive text technologies for mobile devices. The company provides a third-generation mobile text-input engine that supports about 40 languages, as well as a text-output engine called ScriptEasy for multilingual editing, laying out, rendering and scaling of text. Komoxo’s biggest customers in China include Lenovo Mobile Communication Technology Ltd., Haier Group, Hisense, Benephon, TCL Corp., Mediatek Inc., Spreadtrum Communications Inc. and Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co. Ltd.
“We’re very excited about this new collaboration with Microsoft,” said Howard Wu, chairman of Komoxo. “We realized that by approaching Microsoft and working directly with Microsoft Research, we could integrate matured and leading text-input technologies with our own innovations in next-generation text-input products. Along with the popularity of touch-screen and reduced keypad mobile devices, consumers around the world deserve one-hand text-input solutions for their own mother language. We believe this new relationship with Microsoft will create a best-in-class solution in the industry. Komoxo’s third-generation text-input engine is designed for next-generation mobile terminals, which are adopting touch-screen and reduced keypad schemes now more than ever.”
Microsoft’s Commitment to Licensing Technology
The licensing agreement is another example of the important role IP plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant IT ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 500 licensing agreements and continues to develop programs that make it possible for customers, partners and competitors to access its IP portfolio. The program was developed to open up access to Microsoft’s significant research and development investments and its growing, broad patent and IP portfolio. Over the past two years, Microsoft has entered into similar agreements with Alpine Electronics Inc., Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd., Kenwood Corp., Kyocera Mita Corp., LG Electronics, NEC Corp., Nortel Networks, Novell Inc., Olympus Corp., Onkyo Corp., Samsung and Seiko Epson Corp.
More information about Microsoft’s licensing programs is available at http://www.microsoft.com/ip.
About Komoxo
Komoxo is a mobile software company based in Beijing, China. Komoxo provides intelligent, comprehensive and high performance multilingual text processing product line for ODM and OEM customers, including multilingual text input engine for touch screen and reduced keypad devices, and ultra lightweight editing and layout engine, scalable font engine for language and scripts defined in Unicode standard.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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