Taiwanese smartphone and tablet manufacturer HTC has joined hands with Microsoft to produce tablets based on Windows operating system.

"HTC, excluded earlier this year from the first batch of Windows tablets, is working on a 12-inch device and a 7-inch version that can also make phone calls, according to a person familiar with the company's plans, who declined to be identified as the information isn't yet public," reports Bloomberg.

The website also claimed that HTC's Windows based tablets are expected to debut in the third quarter of 2013. HTC's 12-inch tablet will be powered by processor chips made by UK based ARM Holdings.

HTC is also planning a 7-inch mini tablet, the first to feature Windows RT OS.  Microsoft intends to push the mini tablet in competition with the likes of iPad mini, Google's Nexus 7  and other cheaper tablets from Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets.

Microsoft released its flagship 'Surface' tablet with much fanfare in October this year, but the tablet received mixed reactions from both critics and buyers.

Though the company proclaims the tablets were a success among consumers, it failed to release the actual sales figures of the tablet to defend its statement.

Only a handful of Branded OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are currently marketing their tablets with Windows RT OS.

Microsoft's joint-venture with HTC is seen as a shot in the arm for the Redmond company to push Windows RT operating system to gain more share in the global tablet OS market, which is lead by Apple's iOS and Google based Android.

According to the recent IDC survey, the tablet operating system market is lead by Apple's iOS with 53.8 percent, followed by Android with 42.7 percent. Microsoft's Windows OS finishes in the top three with a meagre 2.9 percent market share.

Microsoft's plan of promoting the Windows RT OS as the third major platform looks far fetched for now. The Redmond company has to reach out to more OEM clients to push Windows OS for their tablets.

But there is some hope yet for Microsoft because according to a market research firm IDC, Windows OS is expected to reach 10.3 percent share in the tablet operating system market by 2016.