Android's openness attracts Microsoft

If you build it, they will come. At least that's the idea behind Google's open mobile OS Android. Because it's an open platform, open to any developer to build on, Android applications promise to be far more numerous and varied than those available for the closed Apple iPhone. Just ask Microsoft. According to this TechRadar.com article, Microsoft still can't quite get Apple to agree to enable plug-ins like Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight to work with the iPhone. And Apple's brick wall has led Microsoft to consider developing for Android instead.

Microsoft's Scott Guthrie says that although Microsoft has been developing Silverlight for the iPhone since March, it still can't get the OK from Apple to run it:

"To date, what they've said is that at this time, they're not looking to enable browser plug-ins like Silverlight or Flash to run on top of it. They might in the future, but right now it isn't an option for any vendor and so if they let us we'll definitely come. Until they open it up to third-party plug-ins, like Silverlight and Flash, we're both prevented from running there."

Which leaves Android. Although Guthrie stopped short of saying Microsoft would definitely develop Silverlight for Google's OS, he didn't rule it out either:

"[The] Google phone is slightly different." Guthrie added. "It's more of an open platform, that is something we're going to continue to look at. Certainly as it's gotten deployed and if sales are good we'll definitely keep our eyes out and look at that in the future."

Could this be the first sign that Google's open approach is beginning to trump Apple's tightly closed stance? It looks like history truly is repeating itself.

• Wireless / Mobile
• Android
• Apple
• closed
• Google
• iPhone
• Microsoft
• open
• Silverlight
• software developers