Google and Microsoft chiefs escalate rhetoric war

Stan Beer
Saturday, 13 May 2006 19:28

Business IT - Technology

A war of words between Microsoft and Google senior executives has escalated over the past couple of days with Steve Ballmer reportedly making some off-hand remarks about Google wanting special treatment Internet Explorer 7 because its search engine was the market leader.

The remark, reportedly made to CNET News.com after a speech at the Churchill Club in Santa Clara, follows complaints by Google to the US Department of Justice and European Commission over Microsoft making its own search engine the default in IE7.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page were less than complimentary about Microsoft at their own press conference, with Brin using the words monopoly and anti-competitive when describing the software giant.

Google received setback in its quest to have Microsoft censured by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and European Commission for making Windows Live Search the default search engine in the upcoming Internet Explorer 7 browser. The DOJ has issued a submission to the US District Court of Columbia which indicates that the agency doesn't have a problem with Microsoft's search box in IE7.

According to the DOJ submission, it has looked closely into the search feature of IE7 and is satisfied that the browser, which has 85% market share, provides the required choice for both users and PC manufacturers and that it does not intend to pursue the matter further. The European Commission is yet to venture its opinion however.

While both Brin and Page say they're too busy innovating and developing Google's own products to keep an eye on Microsoft, it is doubtful that they will let go of the browser issue. Internet Explorer has too big a market share and Google's search engine is still heavily dependent on browser access, although the search leader continues to make moves to take its search technology to the desktop, mobile devices and any other areas it can identify which are browser agnostic.