Tao Group Chosen by Microsoft for Strategic Alliance

[System]

Tao Group, architect of the intent multimedia platform, today announced its participation in the Microsoft Mobility Partner Advisory Council (MPAC). Microsoft formed this exclusive council in an effort to bring the most innovative and successful solutions to market with companies heavily invested in mobility solutions. Only the most innovative companies in the wireless and mobile industry are selected as MPAC members.


Tao Group has created intent(r), a modular middleware solution, to deliver rich multimedia services to devices such as smartphones and PDAs.  For network operators and device manufacturers, the Windows and intent software combination allows greater market differentiation and nimbleness to respond quickly to consumer demand.  Many of intent's modules, such as its Java solution and Advanced Polyphonic Ringtone Engine (APRE), are available as ready-made software components that can be integrated into a Windows Mobile- based device within a matter of days.

Membership in MPAC will provide Tao with early access to upcoming Microsoft products and to advanced customer support. This will assist Tao with further integrating its own products with new Windows Mobile-based devices as they become available.  MPAC benefits also include quarterly face-to-face meetings that provide opportunities to discuss strategy and new innovations from Microsoft, carriers, industry analysts and fellow members.  By having access to key Microsoft executives as well as technical, marketing and business development support, Tao will be able to branch into new markets, creating new opportunities for its own business as well as for Microsoft and
other MPAC partners.

"Tao was invited to join MPAC because Microsoft recognises that intent is playing an increasingly pivotal role in the mobile space. By integrating intent into devices, handset manufacturers can deliver unbeatable multimedia to drive up data-traffic and bring tangible benefit to carriers and end-users alike," said Francis Charig, Chairman of Tao.

"Tao's MPAC membership builds on its impressive track record of providing multimedia platform solutions on Windows Mobile software," said Julie Wymetalek, manager of the MPAC program at Microsoft. "Through MPAC, our goal is to further strengthen this synergy and provide companies like Tao with an atmosphere that fosters innovation in the development of next-generation mobile solutions."

- ends -
Notes to Editors

About Tao Group
Tao has developed intent(r), a binary portable, language independent, high performance, multimedia platform that is now used by many of the world's leading OEMs in their client products for home and mobile networks. The technology allows these companies to have a single strategy across all of their platforms, irrespective of operating system, hardware and function. intent is now being used in products including smart mobile appliances and digital television. The Company was founded in 1992, has offices in the United States, Europe and Japan and counts Motorola, Mitsubishi, Sony, NEC,Kyocera, and Sharp among its investors. Tao has a growing and high value,
global patent portfolio and is the recipient of multiple industry awards, both for its technologies and for the rate of corporate growth.

http://tao-group.com  http://withintent.biz

intent is a registered trademark of Tao Group Ltd.

Microsoft and Windows Mobile are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Further Information

Press enquiries
Jenny Orford
Tao Group
Tel: +44 118 9012999
E: jorford@tao-group.com

[KennyR]

Another tasty morsel for Microsoft to swallow.

Milk small companies for innovations they can't work out themselves, legally steal the innovations, then dump the company. Thats how MS works.

[Methuselas]

Yeah, is it me, or is something horribly, horribly wrong with this whole senario??!?? :-?

[Seehund]

Only the most innovative companies in the wireless and mobile industry are selected as MPAC members.

I can no longer seem to find AInc among the MPAC partners...

Tao's not there (yet?) either, BTW.

[System]

Everyone makes it sound like the subject should be "Tao Targetted by Microsoft for Strategic takeover".

[Hammer]

Milk small companies for innovations they can't work out themselves, legally steal the innovations, then dump the company. Thats how MS works.

Note that Internet Explorer (refer about) contains licenses from other companies.

[Matt_H]

Milk small companies for innovations they can't work out themselves, legally steal the innovations, then dump the company. Thats how MS works.

That's what they did to BlueRibbon Soundworks - makers of SuperJam! and Bars and Pipes. Until recently there were still references on their website - vague support readmes and allusions to .lha patch archives. They seem to have removed it now, though I didn't search thoroughly.

I don't know what M$ pilfered from them.

[KennyR]

Hammer wrote:
Note that Internet Explorer (refer about) contains licenses from other companies.

Of course they wouldn't credit the smaller companies whose technology they've taken but haven't licenced, would they?

We know MS do this. They've done it overtly in the past and shown no regret.

[System]

Of course they wouldn't credit the smaller companies whose technology they've taken but haven't licenced, would they?

This isn't "evil", this is just a matter of business that EVERY company does to one level or another.  

If the "smaller company" would have done a better job with their legal department, it wouldn't have been an issue.

Wayne

[KennyR]

Wayne wrote:
If the "smaller company" would have done a better job with their legal department, it wouldn't have been an issue.

That sounds too much like, "If you don't want to get shot, stay out of the way of my bullet!"

Microsoft can do what they do because they have very powerful legal representation, and because they know the companies they take technology from can't do much about it. The only way to beat Microsoft in the courts is to make the legal action more expensive than it's worth for the technology. But nobody can really do that without being ruined in the process.

[System]

> That sounds too much like, "If you don't want
> to get shot, stay out of the way of my bullet!"

Not really.  More like, "if you know that you're stepping in front of the bullet, wear a bullet-proof vest."  These smaller companies aren't innocent, and they aren't stupid.  

They know full well that they're walking into the Tiger's cage to try and eat a bit of his food.  If they get bitten, it's their own damned fault.

[mikeymike]

Yeah, is it me, or is something horribly, horribly wrong with this whole senario?

Planet Earth? :-)

[Waccoon]

Planet Earth?

Or as George Carlin put it, a rotating buffet with weather.  :-)

I don't think anybody really understands why companies go out of business, and thus they don't learn anything and keep making the same mistakes.  Do you seriously think Netscape owned 60% of the market, then died suddenly, just because of Internet Explorer?

Also, do you have any idea how many companies and people have been made filthy rich by partnering with Microsoft?  The world isn't any more black-and-white as it is only green.

[System]

Do you seriously think Netscape owned 60% of the market, then died suddenly, just because of Internet Explorer?

Considering Netscape's original business plan of charging for copies of Netscape to generate their income (they were at one time a much smaller company) then yes.  

Microsoft released IE and said "here ya go, a complete freebie to anyone running Windows", hence the end of Netscape's money flow from Navigator, hence the end of Navigator's market share, hence nearly the destruction of Netscape as a corporate entity.

Whether you like Microsoft, or hated IE is irrelevant.  Free solutions almost always negate the need for most people to buy a commercial product, even if the commercial product is much, much better (which Navigator used to be).

End result: The release of IE for free by Microsoft is what spurred Netscape into different markets.

Related correlary: A $200 Pegasos will ALWAYS naturally sell better than a $750 AmigaOne.  People are cheap, and will always choose the MUCH cheaper product unless -- like Netscape -- there's a "brand devotion issue" at stake.

[DanDude]

Aww...SH(BEEEEEP!)

/me smacks own head.
 :getmad: