Microsoft's Tag

Just like in the past, Microsoft have gone ahead and released an application for a competitor’s operating system. Microsoft are well known in the mobile industry for Windows Mobile, which despite what the naysayers chant, is a productive (and thanks to HTC), good-looking platform. However, in spite of developing their own operating system, Microsoft have released a version of their ‘Tag’ software for Google’s Android. Tag is also available on Windows Mobile, J2ME, Blackberry and Symbian S60 phones.

Tag is a free piece of software that effectively turns your phone’s camera into a mobile barcode scanner. It also allows users to create tags of things and send barcodes to friends which they can scan and it will link them to a product or item of some description. It is not the only application of its kind, and Google themselves are working on an application with similar functionality. This is not the first time Microsoft have gone ahead and developed for an OS by a direct viral, as the BBC point out;

Releasing the application for Android continues Microsoft’s program of making software for rival phone firm. In December 2008 it produced its first iPhone app, called Seadragon, and followed it up in early 2009 by releasing Tag for the Apple handset.

It is refreshing and interesting that Microsoft are not above developing for a competitors OS. It is forward thinking of them and something I cannot see Apple ever doing.

[Via BBC]