Today at CTIA WIRELESS 2006, Microsoft announced it will make significant investments in its digital rights management (DRM) technologies for wireless mobile devices.

?We?re responding to our wireless partners around the world who are asking for a solution to enable new scenarios in the industry,? said Kevin Johnson, co-president of the Platforms & Services Division at Microsoft. ?We want to give consumers what they want ?seamless experiences with premium content on a wide range of mobile devices.?

Microsoft's Windows Media?Digital Rights Management (DRM) is broadly licensed and deployed by more than 100 content services and on hundreds of devices. The platform helps protect and securely deliver content for playback on computers, mobile devices and portable devices, accordin gto the company. It supports a wide range of business models that include download and play, subscription, and video on demand, and enables device manufacturers to directly acquire licenses on their handsets.

?We expect Microsoft?s commitment will accelerate deployment of many services that carriers see as important for the next generation of wireless communications,? said Jim Ryan, vice president of data services at Cingular Wireless.

?With the convergence of the wireless and entertainment industries, Motorola continues to drive new multimedia technologies and business models that enable seamless connectivity for our customers,? said Chris White, senior director of global product marketing for the music category of Motorola Inc. ?Microsoft is stepping up to support this vision further with ?anywhere everywhere? protected digital bits.?