Apple vs. Microsoft vs. Google: Microsoft Signs with Apple's Manufacturer Foxconn for Android Licensing Patent

Microsoft has signed a deal with the parent company of the world's largest manufacturer, the same that Apple utilizes for the products.

Hon Hai, the parent company of Foxconn, signed with Microsoft for a worldwide patent licensing agreement which will provide the Redmond-based company a broader coverage for their portfolio.

Although contents of the agreement are confidential, the deal could have Microsoft devices, from smartphones, tablets, and televisions, run on Android and Chrome operating systems.

"We are pleased that the list of companies benefitting from Microsoft's Android licensing program now includes the world's largest contract manufacturer, Hon Hai," said Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of the Intellectual Property Group Horacio Gutierrez. "By licensing both brand name companies and their contract manufacturers, we have successfully increased the overall effectiveness and global reach of the program.

"Hon Hai is the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer that holds more than 54,000 patents worldwide," said Hon Hai Director of the Intellectual Property Department Samuel Fu. "We recognize and respect the importance of international efforts that seek to protect intellectual property. The licensing agreement with Microsoft represents those efforts and our continued support of international trade agreements that facilitate implementation of effective patent protection."

It's already a busy time for Foxconn as the manufacturer has reportedly started accepting applicants to make Apple's next smartphone. According to Bloomberg, employees were recruited at Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant. Located in eastern China, the Zhenghou factory currently employs between 250,000 and 300,000 people, according to Foxconn's spokesman Liu Kun. He did not comment on how many more people would be hired or on upcoming products.