News Briefs: Microsoft begins OpenXML effort

27.03.2006
Microsoft begins OpenXML effort

Microsoft Corp. has formed a community of developers to promote the OpenXML format as an international standard. Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates launched the community, called the OpenXML Formats Developer Group, at the Microsoft Office System Developers Conference in Redmond, Washington. The community rivals a recently launched group that promotes the OpenDocument format standard.

Qualcomm, Techfaith create Chinese firm

Qualcomm Inc. and China Techfaith Wireless Communication Technology Ltd. have agreed to jointly invest $35 million in a new wireless application software company in China. Called Techfaith Software China Ltd., it will initially develop applications and services for 3G Code Division Multiple Access handsets.

VeriSign buys M-Qube for $250M

VeriSign Inc. has agreed to buy M-Qube Inc., a supplier of software and services for delivering digital content to mobile phones, for about $250 million. The security software maker said that the move is part of an effort to build a business selling products and services that let companies distribute digital content via broadband and mobile networks.