Microsoft has reportedly asked HTC to include Windows Phone mobile operating system as an option for users on its Android-based smartphones. In exchange it will cut down or waive off any licensing fees it charges on the sale of every Windows Phone smartphone.
Microsoft is taking severe measures to improve the market share of its Windows Phone operating system. The software giant even asked the Taiwanese smartphone maker, HTC, to include the Windows Phone OS in its Android smartphones as a secondary option at little or no cost, reports Bloomberg
According to the report, citing people familiar with the matter, Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft's operating systems unit is willing to wave off or cut down on the licensing fee that is charged toward the sale of each handset running Windows Phone. But that would depend on the deal HTC is willing to agree on with the software giant.
HTC is the only phone manufacturer that has built devices that run on Windows Phone as well as Android. But it stopped making Windows Phone-based smartphones after launching the 8X and 8S, last year. The Microsoft-HTC partnership can be regarded as a strong one as it dates back to the original Windows CE powered PDA devices.
The partnership cannot be a deciding factor in the latest deal. Both companies have refrained from sharing the knowledge publicly as the talks are preliminary and decision is still pending, Bloomberg reports.
The technical details of the deal remain unknown. But even if HTC is willing to go ahead with the deal, it would be skeptical to offer both Android and Windows Phone mobile OS in the same device. But Microsoft's deal asks to include the Windows Phone as an option in its Android smartphones, which suggests users may possibly get an option to choose from both operating systems on the boot screen.
Windows Phone OS has lost its market share to Android and iOS. Android dominates the OS market share with 79.3 percent of all smartphones and iOS trails behind with 13.2 percent. Windows Phone holds 3.7 percent of the OS market share as of Q2 2013, according to IDC.
