Google goes after Microsoft
Google Inc. took direct aim at rival Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday by unveiling several search products while simultaneously calling the Redmond, Wash., software giant a "convicted monopoly."
Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, made the unusually harsh comments about Microsoft at his company's annual press day in Mountain View.
He voiced concerns that Microsoft may use illegal tactics to give its own search engine preferential treatment in an upcoming release of its Windows Vista operating system for computers. He then recalled Microsoft's past legal battle with the now-defunct Netscape Communications Corp. over Internet browsers in which Microsoft was found by a federal court to have abused its power.
"We certainly see a history with that particular company, Microsoft, behaving anti-competitively, being a convicted monopoly," Brin said. He then talked about Google taking preemptive action against any future abuse by Microsoft, including lobbying the Justice Department.
Microsoft has denied any intentions to engage in anti-competitive behavior.
Brin's comments contrasted sharply with what was otherwise a get-along theme at Wednesday's event. Google executives repeatedly downplayed any rivalry with Microsoft -- or with Web portal Yahoo Inc., for that matter -- and emphasized that they're focusing on their own products.
Google's new features Wednesday, many released as tests, are intended to help users find and organize information. The products illustrate Google's dual strategy of connecting users with information through their Internet browsers, and a more recent initiative to get users to download desktop software onto personal computers.
Desktop software is Microsoft's traditional turf. Google's increasing interest in the area has ratcheted up an already formidable rivalry.
Google Notebook, to be released next week, will allow users to keep notes on a scratch pad. Users will be able to store text, links or images as they sift through results while shopping or for school research; users can then review the information privately or share it.
Google Co-op, another new product, makes searching more of a social event. Users can help others by labeling Web pages or creating specialized links to which others can subscribe.
Already, Google has signed up a number of partners to annotate Web pages about health and city guides. A few businesses have also contributed. Google said the companies do not pay to be included.
Users who subscribe may see results from a business of their choice above the traditional Google results. The theory is that such results will be more relevant and therefore deserve to be in a more prominent location.
Google also unveiled Google Trends, a product that allows users to see the popularity of specific search results over time. A user who enters "full moon," for example, will see a trend line showing that the popularity of the query spikes about once a month, but because of proprietary concerns, users cannot actually see the number of individual searches of specific terms.
In addition, Google upgraded its desktop search engine to allow users to more easily download so-called widgets, tiny programs that reside on desktop computers. They allow users to get information such as weather reports, for example, without having to open a browser.
Andy Beal, chief executive of Fortune Interactive, an online advertising company, said none of the products Google unveiled Wednesday is revolutionary. Many have been available from other companies, either for free or for a fee, he said.
"There wasn't really anything today that was groundbreaking technology," Beal said. "It was great to see Google offer them, but they have been offered by other companies for at least a couple years."
