Microsoft Prods At iPhone Application Developer Kit
Microsoft nevertheless, may not have profited from the initial iPhone hype, but that does not mean the behemoth tech company does not have plans to milk the cash cow from Cupertino.
From the time of disclosing the iPhone developer kit, software organizations around the world have been trying to figure out just what they might be able to bring to the device.
Microsoft is considering software development for the iPhone, writes Fortune. The financial magazine observes that for more than a week, a team of experts based in Silicon Valley has been looking into Apple’s beta SDK, which come June, will let developers publish and sell native iPhone applications.
The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is already the largest software developer for Apple’s Mac platform outside of the Mac maker itself, and actually maintains a dedicated Mac-development unit in Mountain View, CA. Its Mac Business Unit generates revenues in excess of $350 million and profits of over $200 million each year, so it is not hard to see why the software giant is looking into iPhone development.
“It is really important for us to understand what we can bring to the iPhone,” Tom Gibbons, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Specialized Devices and Applications Group, said in an interview with Fortune. “To the extent that Mac Office customers have functionality that they need in that environment, we are actually in the process of trying to understand that now.”
Upon analyzing the newly released Apple iPhone SDK and Apple’s announced support for Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft says it is seriously considering a push into developing applications for the iPhone.
Asked for further comment, a representative for Microsoft’s Mac business unit said the company is “excited to see improved and updated products and services for its customers” but had nothing to announce as far as its roadmap.
The Apple iPhone is already capable of viewing Microsoft Word and Excel documents directly on the handset. But, iPhone users are clamoring for better integration for Microsoft Office – the ability to edit those documents on the iPhone. In addition to Microsoft Exchange support, introducing Microsoft Office document-editing capabilities to the iPhone would complete the handset’s role as a true enterprise player.
Furthermore, with the company’s latest purchase of TellMe the voice-recognition firm, the potential of launching voice-controlled applications to the iPhone is exciting indeed.
Mike McCue, of the TellMe voice recognition unit, states that his team is also excited about iPhone development assuming the SDK will allow third party software to tap into voice recording and location-based features.
“If the SDK supports these things,” he said, “we are absolutely going to get a version out there as soon as we can, get TellMe out there on the iPhone.”
Microsoft’s expansion in to the iPhone would however be somewhat opposing, as for years it has pushed the development of its Windows Mobile platform, found on numerous smartphones and media players worldwide. The iPhone has been rapidly encroaching on market share however, and the company still faces tough competition from global leader Nokia, and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion.