Microsoft licenses ARM technology

ARM and Microsoft announce a closer cooperation and licensing agreement with Microsoft for ARM technologies.

Microsoft and ARM have collaborated since 1997 and work together on software and devices in the embedded and mobile environment.
')
Agreement details remain confidential. The companies only stated the importance of each other, Microsoft believes that “with increasing access to ARM technologies, the company will be able to increase its activity in research and development for ARM-based devices”.

There are a couple of hypotheses about what this agreement will mean in the future: first, Microsoft can develop its own tablet or part of its architecture, second, the upcoming Windows 8 or its core can have support for the ARM architecture, as its systems support Windows Embedded family.

Engadget puts forward another hypothesis that Microsoft may try to develop its own microprocessor based on the ARM architecture (and sharpening Windows 8 for it to start licensing for OEM - we’ll add insidious plans to take over the world).