Microsoft has created an intellectual-property licensing program aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. In exchange for its technology, Microsoft hopes to get a financial stake in the companies that participate.
The program, called Microsoft Intellectual Property Ventures, is the latest initiative in an ongoing strategy to license Microsoft technologies to a broader range of companies. Until now, many of Microsoft's licensing partners have been other large technology suppliers.
The company revealed Microsoft IP Ventures on Wednesday at a meeting of venture capitalists in New York. Venture capitalists will play a role in hooking up Microsoft with the entrepreneurs it seeks.
Microsoft IP Ventures begins with a menu of 20 Microsoft-developed technologies that are available for licensing, ranging from facial-detection software to data-visualization tools and biometric ID cards. Microsoft highlighted three of the technologies available through the program: software for mobile video communications code-named Portrait, technology for building online communities called Wallop, and another called LaunchTile for single-handed navigation of mobile devices.
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News source: CRN
