Microsoft signs patent licensing agreement with Aspen Avionics for exFAT file technology

REDMOND, Wa., 9 May 2012. Aspen Avionics Inc. officials signed a patent licensing agreement whereby the company gains access to Microsoft Corp.’s Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT). exFAT, a modern file system from Microsoft, enables data portability and provides an interchange between desktop PCs and other electronic devices. This latest agreement for Microsoft exFAT is the first of its kind in the avionics and commercial sector.

Aspen brings advanced technology and capability into general aviation cockpits, increasing situational awareness and reducing pilot workload, with its Evolution Flight Display system, a glass cockpit system certified for general aviation aircraft.

"Innovative avionics requires a modern file system, such as exFAT, that can handle significantly larger file sizes to display richer data than legacy file systems could handle," says David Kaefer, general manager of Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing at Microsoft. "This agreement with Aspen Avionics highlights how exFAT can help directly address the specific needs of customers in the aviation industry, and we're delighted to make exFAT available to the company through our intellectual property licensing program."

Microsoft’s exFAT boasts improvements to its predecessor, the FAT file system: It expands the size of files that flash memory devices can handle by more than five times over the previous technology, increases the speed with which files can be accessed, and facilitates large files for use of audiovisual media.