REDMOND, Wash., and HELSINKI, Finland — Sept. 14, 2016 — On Wednesday, Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC and Tuxera Inc. announced they have expanded their collaboration to Server Message Block (SMB) technology, fueling innovation in a range of fields and enhancing business solutions for customers around the globe. The collaboration comes as Tuxera launches its new Tuxera SMB as a drop-in replacement for the open-source Samba and other alternative SMB/Common Internet File System (CIFS) servers, ideally suited for embedded platforms.

“All the existing SMB/CIFS servers on the market, both open source and proprietary, have years of legacy code as added weight. This makes them not optimal for embedded use due to limited CPU, memory constraints and demanding support requirements,” said Szabolcs Szakacsits, Tuxera’s president and chief technology officer.

“Microsoft has helped lead the way in developing connected technologies, and SMB is integral to our server and business solutions,” said Nick Psyhogeos, president of Microsoft Technology Licensing. “Agreements like ours with Tuxera will accelerate the pace of innovation and shape industries that depend on a near-universal language for file transfers across networks.”

“We are excited to expand our multiyear cooperation with Microsoft to new technologies,” said Mikko Välimäki, Tuxera’s CEO. “Building on our market understanding as the global leader in file systems, Tuxera SMB has state-of-the-art modular architecture that makes it possible to run the server in both user and kernel space and reach hardware limit in I/O throughput, while maintaining the lowest possible CPU usage and memory footprint of any other alternative.”

Microsoft’s commitment to licensing IP

The patent agreement is another example of the important role intellectual property (IP) plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant technology ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, it has entered into more than 1,200 licensing agreements. More information about Microsoft’s licensing programs is available at http://www.microsoft.com/iplicensing.

About Tuxera Inc.

Tuxera is the leading provider of storage software and networking technologies that allow music, pictures, videos and other content to be shared across any device or operating system. Every second three devices powered by Tuxera are launched to the market – mobiles, tablets, drones, cameras, cars, home entertainment and other electronics. Close collaboration with industry leaders ensures reliable compatibility, high performance standards and low power use. Founded in 2008, Tuxera’s headquarters are located in Finland, with regional offices in Korea, Taiwan, China and USA.

Tuxera SMB is available for immediate deployment on Linux and Android, and supports the most popular embedded platforms. Contact sales@tuxera.com for more information.

About Microsoft Technology Licensing

Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC was formed in 2014 to acquire, manage and license Microsoft’s patent portfolio.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Also accessible at http://news.microsoft.com/2016/09/14/microsoft-and-tuxera-strengthen-partnership-through-tuxera-smb-server/#DOpikZCxPShyv8OV.99

Tiffiny Rossi

Tiffiny brings over a decade of technology marketing experience to Tuxera as our Head of Digital Marketing. Before joining Tuxera in 2016, she wrote about technology, consumer electronics, and industrial tech for Nokia, Microsoft, KONE Corporation, and many others. Around the office, we know Tiffiny for her love of geek culture, console gaming, and her adoration for Cloud City’s Baron Administrator, Lando Calrissian.