Microsoft Corp. announced today that it signed patent licensing agreements for the use of the latest Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) with five companies, spanning industries including high-end camcorders, digital cameras and Android tablets.

The agreements cover Sharp Android tablets, Sigma and NextoDi high-end cameras and accessories, and Black Magic and Atomos Global broadcast-quality video-recording devices.

exFAT is a modern file system that facilitates large files for audiovisual media and enables seamless data portability for an easy interchange of files between electronic devices. exFAT vastly improves on its predecessor, the FAT file system, and expands the size of files that flash memory devices can handle by more than five times. It also greatly increases the speed with which those files can be accessed.

"Today's agreements demonstrate the continued success of our licensing program and highlight the adoption of exFAT across multiple industries and many product offerings," said David Kaefer, general manager of Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing at Microsoft. "The unique capabilities of exFAT allow licensees to tailor their products to evolving markets while also meeting the changing needs of their customers."