In parallel with the fierce competition between Internet Explorer, Firefox, and others, computer users will witness another race for “browser toolbar installations” this year.
According to Roger Kay, President of Endpoint (USA), given that Internet-connected computer users open their browsers at least once a day, toolbars containing essential utilities are likely to attract significant user attention. The browser is becoming the “most valuable real estate” on PCs for software companies to promote their products.
Google plans to partner with Dell to integrate Google Toolbar, Google Desktop Search, and other services into Dell’s new systems. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that this three-year agreement will bring $1 billion to Dell. A representative from Dell confirmed they are reviewing the contract but declined to comment on the relationship between the two companies. Observers believe that Google’s investment of a billion dollars just to secure space on PCs to promote services to customers who are already using Google tools is a rather “extravagant” decision.
Google is also collaborating with several manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard, Sony, Apple Computer, and Toshiba to set Google Toolbar as the default installation. Gateway announced yesterday that it will integrate the search engine’s toolbar into its upcoming computers.
Google’s competitors, such as AOL, Yahoo, and MSN, are also pursuing similar agreements. AOL recently stated that their website will become the default homepage on the new Sony Vaio.
The competition for a product icon placement on personal computers began five years ago. At that time, many software companies raced to “lease space” on desktops after a U.S. court forced Microsoft to “open up” the Windows desktop environment to increase competition. Some companies like America Online and CompuServe quickly secured attractive positions for their dial-up services but did not achieve the expected results. Customers ignored icons they did not use or employed other programs to remove them from the desktop and Start menu.
Despite this, Kay believes that as software companies begin to release products as a service (SaaS) over the Internet, attracting customers to use a single brand is particularly important. “Companies understand that up to half of users do not want to change what is set as default for them, even if they are given more options,” Kay said.
