Microsoft says Steve Ballmer not speaking at Apple's WWDC

Microsoft revealed via its official Twitter account on Thursday that the company's chief executive, Steve Ballmer, will not be speaking at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7.

Microsoft made the announcement Thursday afternoon. It came in response to a claim from analyst Trip Chowdhry with Global Equities Research, who said this week that Microsoft has been allotted 7 minutes during Apple's June 7 keynote address.

"Steve Ballmer not speaking at Apple Dev Conf.," the post on Twitter reads. "Nor appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Nor riding in the Belmont. Just FYI."

The Twitter post does not address the other part of Chowdhry's claim: that Microsoft's Visual Studio 2010 will allow developers to write applications for Apple's iPhone OS — including the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad — as well as software for the Mac OS X operating system.

But that part of the rumor also seems highly unlikely, given that Apple specifically banned the use of intermediary tools to write software for the iPhone OS. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs also published a letter in which he said allowing a third-party layer of software results in sub-standard applications and hinders the platform.

"If developers grow dependent on third party development libraries and tools, they can only take advantage of platform enhancements if and when the third party chooses to adopt the new features," Jobs wrote. "We cannot be at the mercy of a third party deciding if and when they will make our enhancements available to our developers."