When you buy your next tablet, digital camera or another device that might have a flash-based memory storage system, you might be using one that has a little bit of Microsoft inside. Today, the company announced it signed up five new companies that will be using Microsoft's Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) for many of their electronic products.
Microsoft said in its press release, "The agreements cover Sharp Android tablets, Sigma and NextoDi high-end cameras and accessories, and Black Magic and Atomos Global broadcast-quality video-recording devices." The specific financial terms of the license deals were not disclosed.
exFAT is Microsoft's successor to the FAT hard drive storage system, except that exFAT has been created with flash-based memory in mind. Microsoft says that exFAT " ... expands the size of files that flash memory devices can handle by more than five times. It also greatly increases the speed with which those files can be accessed."
Microsoft claims that the use of exFAT in storage products could expand the amount of storage for one drive to as much as 256 TB. It has made similar product license deals for exFAT in the past with Sony, Panasonic and Canon.
Source: Microsoft press release | Image via Microsoft
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