Microsoft Licenses Adobe's Flash Lite and PDF For Mobiles; Despite Own Plans

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has licensed Adobe's Flash Lite that allows users to view online video on their mobile devices, as well as its Reader software for viewing PDF documents on their handsets. The software will be distributed to handset makers who use the Windows Mobile platform. AP reports that analysts believe the move is good news for advertisers and carriers, as consumers with more capable phones are more likely to surf the mobile web.

Microsoft has its own software that allows online video viewing called Silverlight, often seen as a competitor to Adobe's Flash. Two weeks ago, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) said it would license Silverlight for several of its smart phones and internet tablet. Microsoft, however, decided to license Flash lite because "customers are asking for," noting that "Flash is something that is very prevalent on the web."

Microsoft's support of Adobe's Flash comes just two weeks after Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs said the reason that the iPhone didn't support the software was that it simply wasn't good enough. You can just hear the "take that, Apple" tone in Adobe's press release on the deal. In fact, they put out two releases, with the second one touting that Flash lite has shipped on more than 500 million mobile devices to date. Plus, it's seen over 150 percent growth over last year, and is licensed by "all major handset manufacturers worldwide." Will Apple change its mind? Surely, even evangelical iPhone users are going to get very tired of being shut out from the vast majority of online video content (release).

Related

• iPhone: Microsoft's Silverlight A Possibility Instead Of Flash?


• Jobs to Adobe: Flash Just Isn't Good Enough For iPhone

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