Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Google questions Microsoft's intentions

“Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors’ e-mail, IM, and web-based services?” - David Drummond, the company’s senior vice president for corporate development and chief legal officer.

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Google offers pact with Yahoo in effort to thwart Microsoft

google downs

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Monday, February 4, 2008

google decided to leave internet

Mountain View, CA – After the announcement of a possible merger between Microsoft and Yahoo, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, announced that the search engine giant would be exiting its entire line of Internet businesses.
"I think you're going to be seeing many other Internet companies doing the same, because the combined power of Microsoft and Yahoo will be overwhelming," said Schmidt. "The synergies created by Yahoo Search and Microsoft Live would soon lead them to dominate the market and frighten young children. That's not a world in which Google wishes to compete."
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said that indeed Facebook would be considering shuttering its site after hearing the news. Other sites such as CNN.com and Ask.com were also considering shutting down.
Schmidt said that users of Google's online services would have two weeks to download data such as email messages and search histories then they were "pulling the plug."
Schmidt said Google would instead focus on its non-Internet businesses like Google Ponies and Google's line of premium pasta sauces. "They are not as profitable, but they're a lot more fun. Who doesn't have fun with ponies?"
To many, Google is the Internet, so the news was devastating. "I've sold my online soul to Google. The things they know about me, even my best friends don't know. When they're gone, it'll be like a part of me is missing. It's a nightmare," said Valerie Keenan from Rancho Cucamonga, California.
It's nothing like the nightmares Schmidt has been having since hearing the news. "In my dreams everywhere I turned I saw the hideous faces of Steve Ballmer and Jerry Yang lording over me. Sergey and Larry were having the same visions. We decided it was best just to end it now."
Many analysts were confused by the move. "Google would still have a leadership position in many of the Internet segments it competes, especially in the valuable search market," said Frank Stanley from Merrill Lynch. "I think those guys have been spending too much time on the party plane."
Google's stock was down on the news.


Ballmer explained Microsoft's strategy, "We're not about dominating markets, we're about eliminating markets for others," he said.
Microsoft has a history of ending products as soon as the competition has been eliminated. Most famously, Microsoft discontinued their graphical "Bob" operating system once competitors from Hasbro and Coleco were eliminated.
Microsoft's stock was up on the news.

Would a Microsoft-Yahoo deal out Google Google?

As Microsoft Corp. tries to take on search company Google Inc. for more advertising revenue by offering to acquire Yahoo Inc., a big question remains: Can Microsoft and Yahoo together best Google?

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Vindu's View: Google would be big winner from a Microsoft-Ya

Google would be big winner

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Gates v Google: Microsoft's search for a future on the net

It is a multi-billion deal that will transform cyberspace. But days before news of Microsoft's $44.6bn bid for Yahoo became public, there were few signs that Bill Gates was about to unveil an acquisition that would transform the company and pose a major threat to Google, arguably the greatest success story of the internet age.

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Google launches its 'let's annoy Microsoft' plan: Pings Yaho

Google has reportedly reached out to Yahoo to thwart Microsoft’s unsolicited $44.6 billion bid. And in case that doesn’t work Google has already started working policymakers. Simply put, the games have begun (Techmeme). Get ready for the FUD fest folks. As noted on Friday just a few hours after Microsoft...

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