Text-input technologies agreement will enhance Komoxo's next-generation
text-input engine and improve consumer experience on mobile devices for nearly
40 languages.
REDMOND, Wash., and BEIJING, April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 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.
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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.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
pr.mspx./ /CONTACT: Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide for
Microsoft, +1-503-443-7070, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com
