As part of its $20.75 million legal settlement with Microsoft, Immersion joined the Redmond company's “certified partner” program. Immersion is well-known for the force-feedback technology that makes video-game controllers “rumble” in conjunction with the action on screen. But its new status as a Microsoft partner could help clear the way for the San Jose, Calif., company to make its technology work with Windows 7, the code name for the next version of Microsoft's operating system.

In a phone interview following the settlement this afternoon, Immersion CEO Clent Richardson pointed out that Microsoft has been showing plans for new touch-related technologies in Windows 7.

Here's a page on the Immersion site that describes and shows how the company's technology can be applied to computer screens.

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