Microsoft announced on Monday that convinced another company to sign a licensing agreement to cover products Android. General Dynamics Itronix will pay people in Redmond an undisclosed sum to guarantee the "extensive coverage" of the patent portfolio of Microsoft for future Android devices that the company wants to create.
General Dynamics Itronix makes rugged laptops, netbooks and even a tablet, using mainly Windows software. But clearly see ultra-hot Android market of new products.
This is, possibly, third publicized Android licenses Microsoft deal. The largest was the HTC deal, signed in April 2010. The first was, perhaps, an agreement with Amazon in February 2010. Amazon agreed to pay Microsoft royalties to cover intellectual property of the range of Microsoft, including some speculated, the use of Android on Amazon Kindle. The agreement also covers use of Amazon's Linux on its servers.
Linux and its derivative, Android, seems to be turning into a profitable business for Microsoft. A recent analyst report that Microsoft is making a handsome $5 by selling HTC Android device. This means that it is sweeping in far more money on Android than in Windows Phone 7 (which apparently costs $15 per device license). However, the idea is not really to make a killing on Android, which is good for Microsoft. The idea is to keep Android from being an alternative to device manufacturers. Director Executive of Microsoft Steve Ballmer told wall street journal in October.
By the way, these are not only offers licenses that Microsoft has released on Linux. In addition to the amount of Amazon, Microsoft scored a cross licensing agreement principle of Linux with LG Electronics and some others, such as an agreement with TurboLinux.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has launched lawsuits against Motorola and Barnes & noble to try to collect royalties for its use of Android, too.
Linux and Android, it was quite odd that Microsoft initiate a demand for IP infringement. Microsoft previously was more often the victim deep pocketed from those suits, not the instigator. A year ago, when the company sued Salesforce.com in May 2010, Microsoft presented only four judgments in violation of patents, including one of his all hitsory. (Salesforce.com and Microsoft finally settled).
But well, Microsoft seems to be changing opinion. If you're sitting in a pot of cash from the world's largest software manufacturer and you can not overcome to ' em, at least try to take advantage of them.
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