Following agreements with Acer and Viewsonic at the beginning of this month, Microsoft has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with Samsung Electronics to cross-license the patent portfolios of both companies. This agreement will provide broad patent coverage for each company’s products.

According to the terms of this agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties (amount not disclosed) for every smartphone and tablet that Samsung sells, which operate on Google’s Android mobile operating system (OS). Redmond has a similar arrangement with Taiwanese smartphone and tablet maker HTC. In addition, the two companies agreed to cooperate in the development as well as the marketing of Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS.

“Microsoft and Samsung see the opportunity for dramatic growth in Windows Phone and we’re investing to make that a reality,” said Andy Lees, president of the Windows Phone Division at Microsoft. “Microsoft believes in a model where all our partners can grow and profit based on our platform.”

“Through the cross-licensing of our respective patent portfolios, Samsung and Microsoft can continue to bring the latest innovations to the mobile industry,” stated Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung’s mobile communication division.

“We are pleased to build upon our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone ‘Mango’ launch this fall.”

In related news Samsung also recently unveiled its first Windows Phone Mango running smartphone, the Omnia W, and also passed the ten million global channel sales mark with its Galaxy SII smartphone.