Windows Mobile Embraces Flash And PDFs

Recently we reported that Steve Jobs had no use for Flash in the iPhone. Microsoft thinks, well, differently. Even though Microsoft is developing a rich-media alternative to Flash they call Silverlight, Adobe and Microsoft understand that for the time being, they'll both do better by licensing Adobe's Flash "Lite" for MS Windows Mobile.

“People want vibrant experiences and access to entertainment and information anywhere, anytime,’ said John O’Rourke, general manager, Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft Corp. “Bringing Flash Lite and Reader LE to Microsoft Mobile experience will give consumers more of their favorite websites on the go.”

We know the plans, but we don’t have timing yet neither for Adobe nor for Silverlight, but Microsoft’s new partners hope to see their technology integrated in Microsoft’s Windows Mobile group by the end of the year.

The iPhone gets all the headlines, but Windows Mobile matters. It's the most popular smartphone platform in the world.