• The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 10:45 AM

Microsoft and Adobe are on a collision course, as the companies, which have been partners for a long time, roll out software handling multimedia functions like video and animation. Today, this is an area dominated by Adobe's Flash, but Microsoft is now throwing its hat into the ring with a new software called Silverlight, designed to make the building of advanced programs easier.

Adobe, meanwhile, is rolling out a new, free product of its own, Adobe Media Player, which is similar to Windows Media Player or Real Networks' RealPlayer. Adobe is also readying another desktop technology called Apollo, which allows companies to build Flash programs that can also pull information from the Web.

Apparently, these companies have caught the "frienemy" bug, as each of these programs encroach on the other's turf. Adobe has been one of the largest software makers for computers running Microsoft Windows, largely sticking to their respective corner of the tech business. Adobe also plans to offer its products to Microsoft competitors like eBay, which will no doubt anger the Redmond, Wash., giant.

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