Microsoft Mac BU and TellMe Exploring iPhone SDK Options

Fortune's Big Tech blog reveals that Microsoft is taking a serious look into the iPhone SDK for the possibility of launching their own iPhone-specific applications.

"Its really important for us to understand what we can bring to the iPhone," Tom Gibbons, corporate vice president of Microsofts Specialized Devices and Applications Group, told Fortune on Monday. "To the extent that Mac Office customers have functionality that they need in that environment, were actually in the process of trying to understand that now."

As the article points out, Microsoft's Mac Business Unit is one of the largest 3rd party developers for the Mac and brings millions in annual profit to Microsoft. Besides the Mac BU, Voice recognition unit TellMe (now part of Microsoft) is also interested.

... as long as the iPhone SDK will allow software to take advantage of voice recording and location-based information, said general manager Mike McCue, TellMe will be all over it.

TellMe is a voice-driven application for mobile phones.

Related Forum: iPhone

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