Licensing IP can be an attractive revenue stream and a very profitable one at that, especially for companies that have a rich IP portfolio such as Microsoft. Microsoft can look at its portfolio and see where it makes sense to license some of these technologies. Where Microsoft can get a broader reach by licensing some of these technologies, it will go ahead and do that. |
Microsoft has been offering a keyboard and mouse for a long time with the company logo, but people may not be familiar with it. More people may be aware of these technologies through licensing than they otherwise would have. |
The hardware IP initiative is definitely a good step forward for consumers. I think it will get the ball rolling to see what else Microsoft may do in terms of licensing IP. |