Technology news and Jobs arrow Information Technology News arrow Microsoft, Alpine snuggle up on the back seat
Microsoft, Alpine snuggle up on the back seat E-mail
by Stephen Withers   
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
A patent cross-licensing agreement between Microsoft and Alpine Electronics has implications for in-car and other consumer electronics products.

Quite a few automotive and auto electronic manufacturers - including Alpine - have paid Apple for the rights to build iPod compatibility into their products, but this deal goes further by giving the two companies access to each others patent portfolio.

Alpine has licensed Windows Automotive (a Windows CE derivative) since 2002 for its navigation systems, though the operating system is said to be suitable for a wide range of in-vehicle devices including entertainment and communications.

"Alpine is looking forward to continued collaboration with Microsoft, and this agreement enables both companies to build upon their cutting-edge innovations," said Satoshi Soma, director of audiovisual product development at Alpine.

"We look forward to incorporating Microsoft's technologies into our product platforms to create navigation and information systems that meet the advanced performance expectations of today’s tech-savvy consumers."

Presumably Alpine has some IP that Microsoft could usefully include in Windows Automotive. The companies are keeping mum about the financial side of the deal, revealing only that the cash is flowing from Alpine to Microsoft.

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