3 Reasons Microsoft Is Giving Windows Phone 7 A Mac Makeover

Microsoft is giving its Windows Phone 7 handset offensive a little bit of Apple marketing magic.

Odeon Ran, Microsoft United Kingdom's head of Windows phone marketing, Tuesday said the software giant will deploy a version of its Zune media software that will sync up with Apple systems.

"ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm glad to confirm that Mac users would be able to use Zune on their Macs to sync with #WP7," said Ran in a Twitter post. "More details soon."

The Apple Mac Zune software would open the door for Windows Phone 7 handsets to share videos, music and photos with Apple Macintosh systems. Here are three reasons Microsoft is getting Zune in tune with Apple systems.

NEXT: Singing An iTune Tune

1. It's An iTunes World

Apple's iTunes rules. Zune swoons. There is no other way to say it. There is no way that Microsoft can make it in the music sharing metropolis without software that syncs with Apple Mac-based systems.

The big issue is just what kind of software integration Microsoft will be able to provide given Apple's tight grip on the Macintosh and iTunes software code.

There's a reason why Microsoft took down the Twitter post from Ran. It doesn't want to give Apple a head start on cutting Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Macintosh integration off at the pass.

NEXT: An Apple Halo Effect?

2. Microsoft Hopes To Get A Windows Phone 7 Halo Effect

You can criticize Microsoft for its engineering missteps, but you've got to give it to the software giant for its marketing prowess. Microsoft's decision to leverage the popular Windows 7 brand to propel a new era of smartphones is pure genius.

The Apple Zune Mac software move is a major marketing coup for the Windows Phone 7 team. Microsoft's U.K. head of marketing knows that if he can get customers to start talking Windows Phone 7 and Apple in the same sentence then Microsoft stands a better chance of winning in the market.

It's called the halo effect. Microsoft is hoping some of that Apple magic will rub off simply by saying Apple. Say it three times: There's no smartphone like the iPhone. There's no smartphone like the iPhone. There's no smartphone like the iPhone

NEXT: Ballmer Waves The White Flag

3. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Wants An Apple Truce

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer knows that Apple has kicked Microsoft's backside with the Apple iPad and the iPhone. He wants a tighter relationship with Apple.

You can bet all the dollars earning 1 percent in your savings accounts that Ballmer is working on developing a tighter, more symbiotic relationship with Apple.

The old PC vs. Mac war doesn't resonate with teenagers raised in the smartphone/cloud computing era. Ballmer knows it's time to move on and get with the Windows Mobile 7 program.