Context: Sisvel’s Wi-Fi Multimode pool, which offers access to standard-essential patents (SEPs) owned by Wi-Fi 6 and 7 technology owners, launched in January. It follows Sisvel’s Wi-Fi 6 patent pool, which, over a three-year period, closed agreements with nearly 40 companies, including Acer, Netgear, Cisco, and HP (November 18, 2025 ip fray article). Among its recent new licensees is Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), a major WLAN player and a leading manufacturer of both consumer and enterprise routers (April 8, 2026 ip fray article). Sisvel’s previous Multimode program, which covered 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G wireless SEPs, also successfully licensed Microsoft – completely litigation-free (June 7, 2023 Business Wire press release).
What’s new: Microsoft has now become a licensee of the Sisvel Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7) Multimode pool, Sisvel has today announced.
Direct impact: This deal brings the total number of licensees in Sisvel’s Wi-Fi Multimode program up to seven. It joins ASUS (which settled a dispute and took a license last month: May 19, 2026 ip fray article), Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Sony Group Corporation, as well as Huawei, Panasonic, Philips, and ZTE, which are also pool licensors. The remaining program licensors include KPN, Mitsubishi Electric, Orange, Aegis 11 (a Sisvel affiliate), SK Telecom, and Wilus.
Wider ramifications: This agreement further strengthens Microsoft’s commitment to patent pools. The company is both a licensor and licensee of the Access Advance High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) program and took a license to Via’s own HEVC pool (now under Advance’s stewardship: December 15, 2025 ip fray article) after settling litigation with licensors M&K, Gensquare LLC, and Tagivan II last fall (October 8, 2025 ip fray article). In April, Microsoft was also among five Big Tech companies to launch a coalition named the Shared AI License Foundation (SAIL), to facilitate the collaborative licensing of AI patents (April 8, 2026 ip fray article).
In a statement today, Sisvel’s Director of Licensing and Counsel Legal and Business, said it is a “pleasure” to welcome Microsoft, adding:
“Although it was sometimes a challenging discussion, it was always a friendly and constructive one. We are grateful to the Microsoft team for the positive approach they took.”
Meanwhile, Sisvel’s Chief IP Officer Heath Hoglund stated:
“To have Microsoft join on an amicable basis is a further clear validation of the Wi-Fi Multimode pool’s offer and rate. I congratulate everyone involved for their professionalism and skill. The programme is now building considerable momentum and I look forward to welcoming further licensees in the near future.”