Rumors of Microsoft Buying Adobe begin to float... (1 Viewer)

[mattCR]

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/microsoft-and-adobe-chiefs-meet-to-discuss-partnerships/

Another person with knowledge of the talks explained that Microsoft had courted Adobe several years ago. But the deal never moved past informal talks as Microsoft feared that the Justice Department would most likely block the acquisition on antitrust grounds.


This person noted that at the time, Microsoft was the dominant force in technology and Google and Apple were not the giants they are today.


Randal C. Picker, a professor of law of the University of Chicago, said in a telephone interview that the technology landscape was drastically different now and that an acquisition or partnership of this nature would likely not be halted.

“There’s not a question that the atmospherics of Microsoft are much more different that they were a decade ago,” he said. “I think you could imagine Microsoft being a more aggressive purchaser in a world where they are no longer an 800-pound gorilla.”


Professor Picker said the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission were focused on other large technology companies and consumer-related issues.

Ok, I will say this: Microsoft buying Adobe could actually be very good for the marketplace. Let's be blunt, Silverlight would quickly replace Flash, and Silverlight is a much broader, richer platform then Flash. Sorry, it is.


The groundwork has been laid for this with Adobe previously grabbing Macromedia, and now MS grabbing the bundle.

 

[KeithAP]

If MS were to quickly replace Flash with Silverlight that might create a problem. All the Flash developers would be faced with a situation where they have to switch to another platform but there would be no guarantee that platform would be Silverlight. I would bet quite a few would go to HTML5 instead.


Personally, I don't have a strong feeling about a merger. I don't care if they do it, I just don't see much of anything interesting coming about because of it.


-Keith