RedmondRumors.com

Given the recent rumor that Steve Ballmer is to present at Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2010 Keynote, I thought it was time to revisit the possibility of Silverlight on the iPhone.

I initially suggested the idea back in December after having just attended PDC ’09. At that time, I had the privilege to sit down with Scott Guthrie and ask him about the possibility of Silverlight on the iPhone.

While he couldn’t comment on future unreleased technologies and platforms, he did mention the strong relationship Microsoft has with Apple which resulted in the ISS smooth streaming support now available on iPhones.

I said it once and I’ll say it again, Apple is a self-proclaimed “hardware” company. They make most of their money from hardware sales.

So, what would happen if the biggest software company in the world were to team up with a hardware company like Apple? Silverlight would come to the iPhone!

Microsoft has a huge developer following and they have always remained adamant that developers are their true audience. Well, what if…just what if, Apple could tap into that huge developer base and maybe even the excellent Microsoft development tools such as Visual Studio? That would mean more software that runs on their hardware.

You may ask, why Microsoft? Why Silverlight? Why not Flash? Well, Steve Jobs has already commented on the Flash topic, so I won’t cover that too much. But, even though Flash has been around for longer, Silverlight is the new kid in town and was written specifically for today’s world and today’s devices. Additionally, Adobe can’t hold a candle to Microsoft in terms of developer following.

Apple also has a score to settle with Google. Google entered Apple’s space in the phone, app and music market. And, given the recent developments with Google gaining market share with Android-based devices, the time is critical for Apple to expand their market share. Microsoft gives Apple the best chance to do just that.

It’s a simple economics move for Apple and for Microsoft. Bringing Silverlight to the iPhone gives them the biggest developer base, the newest, hottest RIA framework and the biggest lift from a financial perspective through expanded hardware sales.

Silverlight for the iPhone…the wait may just be over.