Xiaomi, Microsoft to Collaborate on AI Product Integration

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is trying to speed up its global expansion with the help of Microsoft.

On Friday, the companies entered into an agreement to explore integrating Microsoft'south AI engineering science and cloud services into Xiaomi hardware. In a statement, the Chinese vendor said it aims to make its "products and services amend fit the global market" through this partnership.

The ii companies have plenty to gain from each other. Xiaomi is one of Mainland china'due south most pop Android smartphone makers, but the vendor'south product sales have largely been confined to Asia.

Microsoft, on the other hand, is a major seller of software and services across the world, merely its phone-based hardware failed to take off.

Friday's agreement involves the two companies cooperating on Microsoft AI-powered products including its Bing search engine, Edge cyberspace browser, and digital assistant Cortana, among others. They too intend to work together on other technologies involving computer vision, speech communication, and natural language processing.

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On the hardware side, this agreement doesn't only cover smartphones. The companies plan to talk over incorporating Cortana into one of Xiaomi'southward newer products, a smart speaker chosen Mi AI Speaker.

In add-on, the Chinese vendor intends to leverage Microsoft marketing and product development resources to sell a Xiaomi Windows laptop to markets across the earth.

Microsoft and Xiaomi have partnered before. In 2022, Xiaomi began pre-installing Microsoft Part and Skype apps into its phones and tablets. In preparation for its international expansion, Xiaomi also bought access to one,500 engineering science patents from Microsoft.

Unfortunately, Xiaomi phones aren't officially available in the US. The company has been competing hard to maintain a strong presence in its home market of Mainland china. Only Friday's agreement is a sign the company is still focused on going global.