Microsoft has introduced new hardware partners for its Windows Phone, VentureBeat reported.

Officials from the technology behemoth they have allied with nine hardware manufacturers which will work on developing the Windows Phone platform. These are Foxconn, Gionee, Karbonn, JSR, Lenovo, Lava (Xolo), Longcheer, LG and ZTE. They will be working alongside Nokia, HTC, Samsung and Huawei but it's not clear if the new hardware makers will be coming up with new handsets. The announcement was made at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the report said.

VentureBeat found it interesting that ZTE and LG were considered as new partners considering that both makers already brought Windows Phones to the market before. Maybe it is the intention of Microsoft's officials to emphasize that the two firms were indeed dedicated to the platform, the report surmised.

In addition to the announcement of the new hardware partners, Microsoft also said that the first major Windows 8.1 update for Windows Phone will be rolled out this spring. Most of the details that have been previously leaked, such as power and search buttons included in the start screen, title bar placed on top of new apps and lower memory and space requirements for hardware makers were confirmed by Joe Belfiore, an executive at Microsoft, the report said.

The Redmond-based firm has also made their requirements more manufacturer-friendly by taking out requisites it had included before. Among those requirements that makers don't anymore have to worry about include physical camera and back and search buttons. Support for Snapdragon 200 and 400 chip sets and dual SIM were also added, the report said.

In a statement, Microsoft's OEM Division Corporate Vice President Nick Parker said, "We are making it easier, faster, and more affordable for partners to develop a Windows Phone."

Moreover, officials also said that enterprise Wi-Fi, S/MIME, VPN and improved mobile device management features will also be included in the spring update, VentureBeat reported.