Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, and Shantanu Narayen, Adobe’s CEO, recently met to discuss closer ties between the two companies, according to the New York Times. The Times, quoting two sources familiar with the matter, said the meeting took place at Adobe’s San Francisco offices.

Analysts have suggested that closer links between the two companies could help Microsoft challenge Apple and Google in the smartphone market. Bloomberg also quoted an analyst, Katherine Egbert, who said that the two companies would benefit from closer links between Microsoft’s .Net platform and Adobe’s creative tools.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/8050671/Microsoft-merger-speculation-boosts-Adobe.html

Yikes… I’d hate to see Microsoft Photoshop and Microsoft Flash. At least Silverlight would likely die out.