Following a deal between Research In Motion (RIM) and Microsoft, the former company can now access the latter company’s file system technology for the purpose of flash storage drives. Both the companies confirmed that an agreement over patent licensing was signed between them that gives RIM the aforementioned privileges.
The file system technology in question is called the ‘Extended File Allocation Table’, also known as exFAT. This technology is helpful in optimizing files for future use on flash storage. Flash storage also happens to be the most preferred choice of storage on most tablets and smartphones in the market currently. As pointed out by David Kaefer of Microsoft, exFAT is of immense help in trying to cater to the particular needs of users who are looking for additional amount of storage capacity in order to display data and quality rich images. This may not have been the case with traditional phones earlier, however, in the current mobile market; this need is being increasingly felt. The agreement between Microsoft and RIM is a step towards trying to address this issue.
Apart from Sony, SanDisk, Canon, Sanyo, Tuxera and Sharp, RIM seems to be the latest company to join the group of licensees of exFAT. As for the agreement, it is one of the many deals surrounding patents that have been struck between RIM and Microsoft. However, detailed terms and conditions of the agreement were not let out. Besides, RIM hasn’t yet revealed its exact plans of incorporating the exFAT technology into its devices. Currently, RIM seems to be working on their BB10 operating system, something that has faced delay, promising to release it in the first quarter of the next year.
It is also important to note that the two companies, irrespective of this agreement, are competing with each other, with Blackberry pitching against devices running on the Windows Phone platform. Though RIM’s Thorsten Heins, the CEO, appreciated Microsoft for their abundant experience in the software making business, he also stated that the phone strategy opted by Microsoft was rather confusing.
Only last year, in the month of June, did Apple, Ericsson, EMC, Microsoft, RIM and Sony pool in their resources to buy Nortel Networks’ patent portfolio at a cost of $4.5 billion.
