Microsoft today announced that it had signed a licensing deal with Research In Motion for the latest Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) file system in certain BlackBerry devices. exFAT is described as “a modern file system from Microsoft that facilitates large files for audiovisual media and enables seamless data portability and an easy interchange between desktop PCs and other electronic devices.”
“Today’s smartphones and tablets require the capacity to display richer images and data than traditional cellular phones,” said David Kaefer, general manager of Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing at Microsoft. “This agreement with RIM highlights how a modern file system, such as exFAT can help directly address the specific needs of customers in the mobile industry.”
The press release does not explain which BlackBerry devices will benefit from exFAT but it would not be a stretch to expect that it will be RIM’s upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices.
The news may not be quite as dramatic as an announcement that one company had signed a licensing deal to use the other’s mobile operating system but it does suggest a closer cooperation between the two that could eventually lead to such an announcement.
Read more: Microsoft