The Ny Times is reporting that the CEOs of Microsoft and Adobe recently met. Supposedly on their agenda: Apple.I get that. That two with the vendors who;ve had challenges finding their interactive media technologies authorized for use around the iPad and the iPhone are chatting appears probable, if not probable. A Flash-on-Windows Telephone 7 discussion? I could see it. Doable complaints to legal authorities launched in tandem? Sure, an additional plausible coffee-klatch topic….But now I;m seeing folks leap to the conclusion that Microsoft;s CEO Steve Ballmer met with Adobe;s CEO Shantanu Narayen to talk about Microsoft buying Adobe (based on a passing mention that such an idea was about the Ballmer-Narayen “let;s team to beat Apple” agenda. There;s this paragraph in the Ny Occasions; report:“Another person with knowledge of past talks between the two companies explained that Microsoft has courted Adobe several years back with possible acquisition discussions. But the deal never moved past informal talks as Microsoft feared that United States Department of Justice would likely block the deal on antitrust grounds.”Call me highly skeptical. Microsoft has been downright conservative around the acquisition front, as of late. The few acquisitions the company has made in the past year — only a single of which Microsoft acknowledged publicly (AviCode) this week — are small companies. Microsoft officials have said repeatedly the company is not looking to buy bigger companies; any new acquisitions are likely to be small and supplemental to the company;s existing businesses.I guess you could argue that Microsoft might want to buy Adobe to either kill or own Flash. But can anyone explain why Microsoft might want to buy Adobe otherwise? Adobe shares are surging,
Office Pro Plus 2007 Key, based around the possibility,
Microsoft Office 2007 Product Key, right now. But I just don;t see it happening — especially at a time when Microsoft is trying to figure out Silverlight;s positioning in an increasingly HTML-based world.Update: UBS analyst Brent Thilll said UBS thinks a Microsoft-Adobe deal “would make strategic sense,
Office Pro Plus, but is also unlikely.” He noted that the CEOs of the two companies talk regularly,
Office 2007 Pro Plus Key, as Adobe is one of Microsoft;s largest ISVs. But potential antitrust hurdles, a potentially high price,
Office 2007 Keygen, and Microsoft;s “spotty” track record in digesting large acquisitions are all factors working against such a deal happening.