Microsoft Corp. and MediaTek
Inc., a leading fabless semiconductor company for wireless
communications and
digital multimedia solutions, today announced a strategic partnership to
provide a multimedia-rich smart phone solution primarily aimed at
emerging
markets. As a result of this deal, consumers will be able to buy a wide
range
of feature-rich Windows phones with the best cost-performance ratio in
the
market.
While smartphones have long been gaining traction in developed
countries,
a number of analysts predict that the best years of growth are still to
come
from emerging markets. With its long-standing cooperation with handset
makers
and market experience, MediaTek expects this partnership with Microsoft
to
drive smartphone penetration in the targeted markets.
Built on the Windows Phone 6 platform, these multimedia-rich
smartphones
will have full touch capabilities and offer advanced communication
features
including email and Internet access.
"There is a huge thirst for smartphones in emerging markets. For
many
people, the phone rather than the PC is the main entry point to the
Internet,
resulting in a high demand for rich communication devices. In order to
meet
this demand, we have teamed up with MediaTek to facilitate the provision
of
affordable smartphones," said Daren Mancini,
General Manager for OEM Mobile,
Microsoft.
"MediaTek is enabling handset manufacturers to optimize their
product
offerings to address a larger audience with competitive pricing on our
smartphone solutions," said JiChang Hsu,
Executive Vice President of MediaTek.
"Together with Microsoft and our partner network, we look forward to
providing
wireless communication solutions that help people enjoy richer mobile
and
multimedia lives. We believe our products and services will continue to
meet
people’s future needs for entertainment, communication, and
information."
