Provision of License for Microsoft Research Technology and IP: Agreement Reached With FAST
Posted on June 18, 2008
Filed Under News
REDMOND, Wash., and TOKYO, June 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Microsoft
Co. Ltd. has reached an agreement with FAST Corp., based in Yamato,
Kanagawa prefecture, for the licensing of digital camera calibration
technology developed by Microsoft Research, the research arm of Microsoft
Corp. Microsoft operates a successful global intellectual property (IP)
licensing program for innovations and technologies developed by Microsoft
Research’s six labs throughout the world. However, this is the first
agreement of this nature in Japan. FAST aims to use the licensed technology
to improve the precision of its various image-processing products and
accelerate the development of new inspection systems and other products.
Microsoft also will provide development support to FAST through a
program run by the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) in Chofu, Tokyo. MIC
provides comprehensive support to IT companies (software vendors, hardware
vendors and systems integrators), universities and other educational and
research facilities, and entrepreneurs dedicated to the development of new
and innovative technology. The support takes the form of access to the
large-scale development and testing facilities housed within the Microsoft
Chofu Technology Center, where Microsoft develops its own products, and a
wide range of development support programs.
As part of these activities, MIC supports Microsoft’s IP Licensing
program, in which it licenses various Microsoft technologies and provides
related technical support. The licenses include those for technology
developed by Microsoft Research as well as for application programming
interfaces (APIs), data formats, protocols, and other technical information
used in the Windows operating system and other Microsoft products. Through
these activities, companies and other organizations receiving support can
expect to help reduce development costs and enhance the value of their
products.
The agreement is another example of Microsoft’s continuing efforts to
provide companies, startups and businesses around the world with access to
cutting-edge technologies developed in Microsoft Research labs. This type
of collaboration also adds value to a healthy IT ecosystem and helps create
local economic development opportunities.
“We have high expectations that our agreement with Microsoft on the
licensing of its IP related to digital camera calibration technology will
prove to be of great use to us in developing our image-processing
business,” said Masakatsu Makino, president of FAST.
“FAST is a specialist image-processing technology company that
develops, manufactures and sells image-processing software, devices and
systems,” Makino said. “The IP licensed from Microsoft is outstanding
camera calibration technology for 3-D measurement and inspection systems
utilizing 3-D measurement in production environments in which high
practical precision and simple camera calibration operation processes are
required. We plan to roll out distinctive image-processing products in the
near future that incorporate this technology. As a company developing
advanced technology to meet customer needs, we feel that Microsoft’s
technology will bring many benefits.”
“As its licensing of this technology demonstrates, Microsoft is
implementing a policy of providing a broad range of industries with access
to its technology with the aim of contributing to the advance and growth of
other industries and their technology,” Makino said. “We take our hats off
to Microsoft for this admirable policy.”
“This agreement with FAST is an example of how Microsoft is committed
to licensing its intellectual property portfolio to benefit customers and
the IT ecosystem as a whole,” said Shunichi Kajisa, chief technology
officer of Microsoft Co. Ltd. “Agreements like this allow companies around
the world to access our rich research and development and patent portfolio
and create cutting-edge technologies that benefit their value proposition
to customers.
“FAST has long adopted new technology to create competitive products
and drive its growth,” Kajisa said. “We feel honored that Microsoft
technology will be incorporated into FAST’s products, and we are very
grateful for the opportunity that FAST provided us to demonstrate how our
technology can be applied to various fields. We hope to take our
relationship beyond this agreement and continue to work together for our
mutual growth.”
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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