More evidence that Google and Microsoft remain very interested in China has surfaced. Both companies have struck deals with MediaTek, a semiconductor company that specializes in wireless communications, and said deals should help them make headway in China’s mobile market.
Dan Nystedt reported earlier today, "MediaTek has already developed a chipset and other hardware for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6 operating system and has sent the package . . . to handset makers in China so they can start designing new Windows Mobile smartphones, a MediaTek representative said." Also, "MediaTek will release a similar hardware and software package with Google’s Android mobile phone OS in the second half of this year . . ."
Microsoft’s move may not qualify as much of a surprise. Over the past month, Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates have both made statements to the effect that they weren’t troubled by recent hacking claims involving China. Microsoft’s agreement with MediaTek was actually announced by a press release, too.
It’s Google’s involvement with MediaTek that is a little unexpected. Google more or less threatened to pull out of China, after all, and while it’s normally much more communicative than Microsoft, the company hasn’t yet put together any press releases or blog posts about this.
China’s mobile market no doubt represents an opportunity for all three of these organizations to make a lot of money, in any event.
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