SoftMaker Software GmbH and WESTTEK have joined forces to provide original device manufacturer (ODM) customers with Microsoft Office solutions compatible with a variety of mobile and embedded platforms.

The companies will provide ODMs with combined Office solutions starting immediately.The agreement between the companies will incorporate technology sharing provisions as well as combined sales and support efforts.

The companies plan to address the Microsoft Windows CE, Windows Mobile, Android and mobile and embedded Linux platforms prior to the end of 2008.

"By combining our efforts, WESTTEK and SoftMaker will be able to bring Office integration and compatibility solutions to the mobile and embedded user which far exceeds the capabilities of any solution available today," said Tim Wells, president of WESTTEK, in a statement.

WESTTEK is a major player in the development of business and office productivity solutions for the mobile and embedded market place. WESTTEK specializes in the development of high-fidelity, small footprint viewing, presentation and graphics solutions.

WESTTEK's products have a worldwide audience and have been featured in "Post-PC" devices from projectors, to Windows-based terminals, to smart phones and PDAs.

"SoftMaker and WESTTEK have each held leadership positions in the mobile and embedded space during the past decade," said Martin Kotulla, CEO of SoftMaker Software, in a statement. "Working together we will be able to expand the horizons of Office integration for the mobile professional."

Since 1987, SoftMaker has been developing Office software for the working professional. The "flagship" product SoftMaker Office is available for a wide range of operating systems: Windows, Windows CE, Windows Mobile and Linux.

Last month, WESTTEK had announced that its ClearVue applications will support Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs, Microsoft's newest software platform for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC devices.

The ClearVue product line offers a complete collection of file viewers for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs.

ClearVue views and prints Adobe Acrobat PDF files, digital images and native Microsoft Office 97-, Office 2000-, and Office XP-based PowerPoint, Excel and Word files. ClearVue maintains the content and integrity of the desktop file and does not require any file conversion, filters or desktop connection.

ClearVue provides Windows Mobile-base Pocket PC users with the ability to access important email attachments and Internet content.

Anil Sharma is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anil’s articles, please visit his columnist page.