Taiwanese handset vendor HTC has acquired Paris-based mobile software firm Abaxia in bid to beef-up its smartphone development capabilities. In a statement, HTC described Abaxia as “a leader in custom software for mobile operators and handset manufacturers around the world.” The firm’s products focus on the user interface – what it calls the ‘front screen’ or ‘idle screen’ – so it can push services to consumers at ‘zero-click’ distance. It claims to have over 22 million software deployments across 36 countries on 60 different handset models with tier-1 network operators, and 10 global technical contracts with major handset manufacturers. Financial terms were not disclosed, though reports suggest a price tag of around US$13 million. “HTC and Abaxia have worked closely together in the past and our businesses complement each other well,” said Cedric Mangaud, CEO of Abaxia.

Industry-watchers believe HTC will use Abaxia’s technology to further enhance the software it builds into its smartphones. HTC is one of the leading manufacturers of Android-based devices and often uses its own interface – known as HTC Sense – to differentiate its products in the marketplace. A Business Week report notes that the acquisition may also strengthen HTC’s standing in its ongoing legal battle with Apple. The iPhone-maker filed patent infringement suits against HTC earlier this year, charging it in part with infringing patents related to the iPhone’s user interface. Additional patents in this space could potentially help HTC negotiate during the dispute, the report says. HTC has since counter-sued Apple.