Microsoft, China Unicom form alliance to boost sales of new systems

Microsoft Corp announced Thursday the founding of an industry alliance with China Unicom, hoping to rely on the telecom company's faster 3G network to boost its presence in the Chinese market with its latest operating systems for mobile devices.

A raft of devices including smartphones, tablet PCs and ultrabooks powered by Microsoft's latest Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms were also launched at a press conference in Beijing announcing the alliance.

In addition to Microsoft and China Unicom, members of the alliance include a number of handset makers and chip manufacturers such as Samsung, Nokia, HTC, Intel and Qualcomm.

It marks the first such alliance the software giant has forged with the nation's telecom operators, as Microsoft uses its latest mobile operating systems to actively compete with the current market leaders, Google's Android platform in particular.

Recommended Features: Vibrant Opportunities amid Transition From 'Made in China' to 'Created in China' A Journey to Cultural Renaissance The Vision of A Pillar Industry [Video]A 'Made in China' Story A Splendorous Landscape of China's Wealth A Decade of Fastest Development Eastern Boom Lightens Western Gloom Chinese firms 'potential Trojan horses'？