OTTAWA – Mitel inks a cross-licensing deal with IBM that will have the two using each other’s patents covering unified communications technology. “This agreement with IBM will enable our companies and our customers to benefit from the innovation and creativity that is embodied in our respective patents and inventions,” says Christian Szpilfogel, head of Mitel’s IP licensing group. “We believe in taking a collaborative yet proactive approach to protecting our intellectual property.” IBM, which has a long history of making such arrangements, generated more than $1 billion from royalty agreements in 2006.