It shouldn't come as a surprise to readers that the folks over at Google might not be totally stoked on the potential
merger of Microsoft and Yahoo!. If you weren't sure where the company stood on the issue, you can now get clued in thanks to a post on the official Google Blog earlier today. David Drummond, senior VP of corporate development (and the company's chief legal officer) says that he worries the acquisition of the internet portal by a company that has "frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies" could "extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the internet." His concern centers around the possibility that the combination of the two monoliths could "unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors' email, IM, and web-based services." Sure, Google has more than a little stake in seeing fair play on the net (gotta keep those ad revenues up), but this is serious food for thought nonetheless.
Update: It looks like the war of words is
really starting to heat up. Brad Smith, general counsel for Microsoft, has issued his own little statement
here, telling us that Google holds far more marketshare when it comes to internet searching than a combined Microsoft and Yahoo! possibly could, and then going on to explain that the Redmond giant is "committed to openness, innovation, and the protection of privacy." Uh, whatever you say Brad.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted February 3rd 2008 7:47PM
Google should of just kept quiet about the Microsoft / Yahoo bid. By complaining, they have shown they are scared of the possible merger. This gives an indication of weekness, despite their dominance.
I think that Google secretly want the takeover/merger to go ahead, but that they know a cheap letter from their lawyer will cause MS and Y! very larger legal expenses in order to get the merger approved.
In the meanwhile, confidence in MS and Y! will slump, advertisers will get pissed off and migrate to google.
When the merger does go ahead, MS and Y! will have huge internal fights over control, lots of staff will leave, G will hoover up all the OSS experts from Yahoo (I know they G are shopping for engineers), and the combined MS and Y! will thus be weakened at vast expense to their shareholders, and G will be be stronger and better and have less competition.
this is just my theory and speculation, mind, and doesn't constitute any kind of legal or investment advice, your mileage may vary, yada yada yada.
Google STINKS! Sponsored links are all you get. What an opportunity for some enterprising individual or company to start up a REAL SEARCH ENGINE that WORKS and gives you information or products that you are searching for!
Hope google fights back.
Michael,
Microsoft is far from innovative or open with any of their products. Mac Safari works on either a PC or Mac, but Microsoft cannot act this way because their culture is to crush everything in their path. They do not like giving things away for free as they are much too greedy. Plus they are now in the business of making inferior products, Vista for example. Very innovative if you like having the 3rd place OS.
MICROHOO!
C'mon, you just know Microsoft is going to make a balls up of Yahoo. Why worry?
Unless you use Yahoo...
Worst thing is, Microsoft gets Flickr. They will change it so you can only upload from a Microsoft camera. Then realise two weeks later they don't make one yet.
I think even if Microsoft buys Yahoo, Google still has nothing to worry about. The majority of America thinks Google when they need to search for something on the internet, and I do not see Microsoft taking that role over! Buy away all you want Microsoft...you are not going to put Google out of business, nor will you make them 2nd place.
ABOUT STEPPING UP.. THE COMMENT THAT GOOGLE HAS MORE TO ME MEANS HE DOESNT NEED... JEOLOUSY IS SILLY MONEY? I THINK GOOGLE MAY JUST BE CONCERNED THAT THINGS KEEP SAFE..
Google is the best but never compared with Microsoft
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