On May 31, Google CEO Eric Schmidt informed the industry that the world’s leading online search engine would not be developing a standalone web browser to compete with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) 7.0.
Eric Schmidt also acknowledged that the demand for web browsers has nearly reached saturation, as most users are satisfied with existing options like IE, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. “We won’t build a new browser just for the sake of it.”
He reiterated Google’s concerns regarding the upcoming IE 7.0 from Microsoft, stating that this version could create challenges for users when choosing a search engine that is not from Microsoft.
Recently, Google filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding these concerns, but the legal authorities did not accept it. According to Eric Schmidt, Google hopes that Microsoft will not complicate users’ decisions in choosing their preferred search engine. It is noted that IE 7.0 will be integrated into Windows Vista, the next version of the Windows operating system, which is expected to launch early next year.
Currently, Google remains the world’s leading online search engine, holding a 43% market share in the United States (as of April 2006), surpassing Yahoo (28%) and MSN (13%).
VH
