October 18, 2001	Thursday	Rajab 30, 1422

SEOUL, Oct 17: Microsoft Corp. and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. on Wednesday agreed to forge a strategic alliance on digital home technologies, the companies announced.

The two companies intend to work together to develop and market a new breed of products based on Samsung hardware and Microsoft Windows software, they said in a statement.

The business tie-up marked the first strategic alliance for United States giant Microsoft’s eHome Division, it said.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and Samsung Electronics chief executive officer Chin Daeje signed a memorandum of understanding on the partnership during a joint news conference.

Samsung, the world’s largest memory chip maker, said the new business alliance will help it lead “the digital electronics era,” the statement said.

Microsoft’s alliance with Samsung Electronics will deliver a new generation of digital home technologies that create exciting experiences without adding more complexity to people’s lives, Gates said.

We are entering a digital decade where smart, connected devices and advanced home-entertainment solutions will enbale people to utilize technology in new ways and maximize its full potential.

Chin said: We look forward to working with Microsoft to pioneer a new range of home technologies... we will develop an entire ecosystem of PCs, digital devices, intelligent home appliances and services that will easily and cost-effectively transform average households into next-generation digital homes.—AFP