Microsoft in talks with Adobe

Although Microsoft and Adobe have held partnership talks before, this time the talks may be more serious. The New York Times reported that the two companies held secret talks with the main aim of determining how they could join forces to slow down Apple’s control of the mobile phone market. In the past, Microsoft’s development of Silverlight, which is positioned as a competitor with Adobe’s Flash, has kept the companies apart. But Adobe’s recent, public clash with Steve Jobs over Flash on the iOS platform, a draconian stance that Jobs has recently eased back on, may have set the stage for the conversations. Since reporting the talks, The Times has yet to publish a follow-up.