Microsoft executives said the patent deal struck with Samsung Electronics will be used to enhance Microsoft"s consumer electronics hardware such as the Zune MP3 player and the Xbox, as well as for Windows PCs. Microsoft may be attracted to Samsung"s flash memory capabilities, possibly heralding a flash Zune, according to Robert Doherty, a senior analyst with Envisioneering.
Microsoft and Samsung are heavily invested in research and development so it makes sense that they "leverage the ideas of one another," said David Kaefer, general manager of IP and licensing at Microsoft. "The lines are blurring between TV, video and phone and it has become increasingly difficult to be the sole enterprise researching a particular technology," Kaefer said. Microsoft is essentially looking for a way to expand its patent portfolio in order to open up more doors for its engineers.