Microsoft committing to open competition in mobile space

A decision by Nokia Corp. to give its mobile application developers access to Microsoft Corp.'s Silverlight browser plug-in should go a long way in demonstrating the software giant's commitment to the mobile space. But it will also further the development of new and innovative technologies that can function on multiple mobile operating systems. Silverlight is a tool for mobile developers looking to add animation, vector graphics, and audio-video capabilities to wireless applications. Nokia will make Silverlight available on the S60, S40 and Internet tablet platforms later in 2008. Sari Ståhlberg, director of product and technology marketing for the S60 at Nokia, says that Silverlight will extend consumer choice, not limit it - something that's always a concern when Microsoft gets involved. This is good news, but still raises questions about end-user choice. From this perspective Ståhlberg is adamant that Microsoft will not be in a position to squeeze out the competition. "There is always the choice as to what type of application the user wants to be using," she tells Report on Wireless. "In the context of the plug-in, the end user can choose defaults." Nokia's software strategy hinges on cross-platform development environments and what it calls "open innovations". Microsoft, rather than being seen as a dominant, closed shop, is presented as another player. Given the sense of urgency with which Microsoft is approaching the mobile market, and the push for the Microsoft Mobile OS, it makes sense to get Silverlight on as many handsets as possible. "We are trying to develop a cross-device, multi-media platform," says Rini Gahir, senior product manager, developer tools, Microsoft Canada. "Silverlight is a .NET platform, and we are allowing Nokia to develop on it for free. This will open doors for developers to build on Silverlight, and it will enable rich mobile applications for Nokia." From a competitive standpoint, Silverlight operates in the same space as Adobe's Flash Lite, which is a runtime engine for mobile and consumer electronics devices. Nokia signed a deal with Adobe last year for Flash Lite. "We really want to make sure that we endorse all the important developer environments," says Ståhlberg. "Flashlight can help deliver on next generation media experiences." The deal is also a good showcase for Nokia and Symbian, and should leave Nokia in the driver's seat, though anyone familiar with Microsoft is right to be worried about two other areas: the timeline, and the ability for the platform to function without hogging memory or power. "Memory is always a concern when we add functionality," says Ståhlberg. "We pay close attention to that. And after we saw the first demonstrations we became confident Silverlight could be available by the end of the year." Microsoft has an odd ally, perhaps, in Apple Inc.'s CEO Steve Job's, who said earlier this month that Adobe Flash is not good enough for the iPhone, perhaps opening a window for Silverlight. In the end, Microsoft's reason for going with Nokia is obvious: the Symbian OS is the market leader on smartphones, accounting for approximately 53% of the 35.5 million smartphones shipped in the fourth quarter of 2007. As a result, the deal will make the Silverlight platform available on literally hundreds of millions of devices. Initially, Nokia is looking at the consumer space for Silverlight, but as more enterprise services are Web-based its use will likely expand into businesses.

Microsoft committing to open competition in mobile space

News | 03/19/2008 5:43 pm EDT

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