REDMOND, Wash., March 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft
Corp. on Wednesday announced a new patent licensing agreement with
Toyota Corp. that includes broad coverage for connected car
technologies. Today's agreement builds on Toyota and Microsoft's
strong partnership, which includes their collaboration on the
Azure-based Toyota Big Data Center.
"Microsoft invests $11.4 billion
annually in research and development and for more than 30 years has
been developing innovative technologies that are powering today's
connected car experiences. When you look across telematics,
infotainment, safety and other systems in today's connected cars,
you find Microsoft technologies and innovation," said Erich Andersen, corporate vice president and
chief IP counsel of Microsoft's Intellectual Property Group.
"Microsoft doesn't make cars; we are working closely with today's
car companies to help them meet customer demands, and we're pleased
today to announce the licensing of our patented technology to our
partner, Toyota."
"This is an exciting time in the industry, and we believe that
to create the best, most immersive connected car experiences,
automotive makers should partner with technology leaders like
Microsoft," said Tokuhisa Nomura,
executive general manager of Toyota's Advanced R&D and
Engineering Company. "Through this patent partnership between
Toyota and Microsoft, we will be able to innovate faster to deliver
new, contextual and immersive experiences to our customers."
Microsoft's commitment to licensing IP
The patent
agreement is another example of the important role intellectual
property (IP) plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant technology
ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in
December 2003, it has entered into
more than 1,200 licensing agreements. More information about
Microsoft's licensing programs is available
at http://www.microsoft.com/iplicensing.
About Microsoft Technology Licensing
Microsoft
Technology Licensing LLC was formed in 2014 to acquire, manage and
license Microsoft's patent portfolio.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft)
is the leading platform and productivity company for the
mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower
every person and every organization on the planet to achieve
more.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.