Microsoft's Ballmer to speak at Apple WWDC?

Arch rival's CEO set to take to the stage during Apple keynote

27 May 2010 10:44 GMT / By Paul Lamkin

You may have just seen the story regarding Apple overtaking Microsoft as the world's biggest tech company. Well, maybe Apple is feeling sorry for its nemesis, as rumours persist that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is going to be given a 7-minute slot during the Apple keynote on 7 June.

He's not going to be showing off the Kin, singing the praises of Windows Phone 7, or anything quite that dramatic. He'll apparently be demoing Microsoft's development tool Visual Studio 2010 which is said to allow developers to write native applications for the iPhone, iPad and Mac OS.

At the moment apps have to be developed from within Apple's own Xcode development suite which only runs on a Mac.

If this rumour bears any fruit then it will be a fairly major development. But it will also be a double win as both businesses stand to benefit. Microsoft will shift a few thousand more copies of Visual Studio and Apple will make shed loads of extra cash as a result of an expanded variety of apps.

Be sure to tune into Pocket-lint on 7 June for all of the announcements from the WWDC in San Francisco.

UPDATE: Microsoft has confirmed via Twitter that this isn't the case: "Steve Ballmer not speaking at Apple Dev Conf. Nor appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Nor riding in the Belmont. Just FYI.”

Via: macrumors.com

Full tags

Software, Hardware, Apple, Microsoft, WWDC10, Steve Ballmer