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By Scott Nyman

According to the NY Times, software giants Microsoft and Adobe held a secret meeting to discuss strategies to combat the Apple and Google dominance in the mobile space. Reportedly, one solution involves a Microsoft acquisition of Adobe.

A market report from comScore, a firm that tracks the trends of the mobile phone industry, determined Apple holds 23.8% of the mobile smartphone market as of July 2010. Google’s Android platform is on the rise with a 17.0% share, gaining an additional 5% of the market since April 2010. Microsoft trails the competition with 11.8% of the market and falling.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft and Adobe have considered joining forces. A similar conversation took place yearsagowhen Microsoft alone ruled the software world, but never developed due to fears of antitrust complications. Now, Apple and Google hold a larger slice of the market, with both enjoying a significant presence in the mobile space. Since Microsoft is no longer the only player in the software game, it can likely expect less antitrust opposition as it acquires other companies.

Microsoft aims for a successful reboot of its Windows Mobile brand, launching a completely revamped Windows Mobile 7 later this year. Microsoft is hoping the modern, user friendly interface will win back the customers stolen by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms. Microsoft may hope to implement some of Adobe’s software libraries and patent portfolios into its offensive push to take back the market.

Adobe also has an interest in teaming up with Microsoft, seeing how Apple has vocally shunned the Adobe’s Flash platform in a public letter from Steve Jobs himself, posted on Apple’s website. Adobe benefits from Flash being a primary tool for the display internet advertisements. Unsurprisingly, Adobe wasn’t too thrilled when Apple cut off the entire iOS market from Flash and released its own direct competitor, iAds.

The Jobs letter can be viewed here:

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/