14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft and Fuji Xerox have recently announced a new agreement that allows the two companies to use each other’s patents for a wide variety of products, including digital imagines, document management, and mobile consumer products.
The two companies signed their first agreement in 2007, so today’s partnership is actually supposed to expand on the original deal and continue their collaboration for new technologies.
Of course, Microsoft hasn’t provided any specifics on the products that can come with Fuji Xerox patents, but there’s no doubt that this company owns some pretty interesting assets that could help the Softies improve their own devices.
For starts, Fuji Xerox is a joint venture founded by Fujifilm and Xerox that’s particularly focused on standard and multifunction printers, so Microsoft might be looking at new technologies in this regard that could work with the upcoming Windows 10 operating system.
Obviously, there’s plenty of room to speculate on the products that Microsoft could launch with Fuji Xerox patents, but the company has said it very clear in a press release today that “contents of the agreement will not be disclosed.”
Microsoft is one of the companies that have been working hard in the latest few years to protect their work with patents and sign agreements with other firms in the industry, and according to Redmond data, no less than 1,100 licensing agreements have been reached so far.
That’s definitely an impressive number, but the company still has a long way to go to prove that all these partnerships are worth something for customers.