Post by brinkley1988 on Nov 9, 2011 2:45:48 GMT
Microsoft aims to sign all the major Android vendors to licence the patents it owns in the Google OS, and that major league now includes Huawei. The Chinese firm has confirmed that it is in negotiations with Microsoft over certain IPR.
As Huawei moves upmarket from featurephones to smartphones, Android is becoming more strategic to it, and it aims to be in the smartphone top five within three years. As with other licensing deals, Microsoft may hope for a double whammy here - royalties from Android units, but also support for its own WP7 platform.
By adding to the cost base associated with Google's OS, it removes one of WP7's disadvantages, especially for an OEM like Huawei, which focuses heavily on cost sensitive markets. The hardware vendor's device CMO, Victor Xu, said in May that his firm was keeping a watching eye on WP7 and might release handsets in 2012, following in the footsteps of compatriot ZTE, which already has a dual Android/WP7 strategy.
When Microsoft signed up Samsung recently for a patents deal, the agreement also included closer cooperation on WP7 device development and marketing, and if the Windows giant could agree a pact of similar scope with Huawei, it would set an interesting new precedent with a major from China, a country whose players have often proved difficult in IPR settlements, and which is seeking its own major patent base to reduce dependence on western inventions. Huawei is one of the largest patent holders in wireless standards including LTE.
Xu would only tell reporters that "negotiations are in progress", confirming "Microsoft has come to us" and adding: "We always respect the intellectual property of companies. But we have 65,000 patents worldwide too. We have enough to protect our interests. We are a very important stakeholder in Android."
This month, Huawei unveiled the first two models in its new strategy to offer Android smartphones under its own brand, rather than under carrier logos. The Vision will come first to the UK, in time for the holiday season, and the country will also be the first market for the 7-inch MediaPad tablet, due early next year. "We're moving to a 'B2P' model, where 'P' is for 'people'. Previously we only sold to operator," Xu said in an interview. The Vision will be targeted at young users with heavy social networking activity, a common approach for affordable, midmarket smartphones - and the next territories targeted will include India, Japan and the US. Interestingly, Huawei plans to market the tablet at the same base, rather than going for the premium, hi-tech consumer segment served by the iPad.
Microsoft is not only boosting the chances of WP7 by hitting Android, but is expanding its senior team too. It has appointed a former Samsung Mobile executive, Gavin Kim, to be general manager of Windows Phone product development. At Samsung, Kim was VP for content and enterprise mobility.
As Huawei moves upmarket from featurephones to smartphones, Android is becoming more strategic to it, and it aims to be in the smartphone top five within three years. As with other licensing deals, Microsoft may hope for a double whammy here - royalties from Android units, but also support for its own WP7 platform.
By adding to the cost base associated with Google's OS, it removes one of WP7's disadvantages, especially for an OEM like Huawei, which focuses heavily on cost sensitive markets. The hardware vendor's device CMO, Victor Xu, said in May that his firm was keeping a watching eye on WP7 and might release handsets in 2012, following in the footsteps of compatriot ZTE, which already has a dual Android/WP7 strategy.
When Microsoft signed up Samsung recently for a patents deal, the agreement also included closer cooperation on WP7 device development and marketing, and if the Windows giant could agree a pact of similar scope with Huawei, it would set an interesting new precedent with a major from China, a country whose players have often proved difficult in IPR settlements, and which is seeking its own major patent base to reduce dependence on western inventions. Huawei is one of the largest patent holders in wireless standards including LTE.
Xu would only tell reporters that "negotiations are in progress", confirming "Microsoft has come to us" and adding: "We always respect the intellectual property of companies. But we have 65,000 patents worldwide too. We have enough to protect our interests. We are a very important stakeholder in Android."
This month, Huawei unveiled the first two models in its new strategy to offer Android smartphones under its own brand, rather than under carrier logos. The Vision will come first to the UK, in time for the holiday season, and the country will also be the first market for the 7-inch MediaPad tablet, due early next year. "We're moving to a 'B2P' model, where 'P' is for 'people'. Previously we only sold to operator," Xu said in an interview. The Vision will be targeted at young users with heavy social networking activity, a common approach for affordable, midmarket smartphones - and the next territories targeted will include India, Japan and the US. Interestingly, Huawei plans to market the tablet at the same base, rather than going for the premium, hi-tech consumer segment served by the iPad.
Microsoft is not only boosting the chances of WP7 by hitting Android, but is expanding its senior team too. It has appointed a former Samsung Mobile executive, Gavin Kim, to be general manager of Windows Phone product development. At Samsung, Kim was VP for content and enterprise mobility.