Will Apple and Microsoft join together to fight Google?

Seth Weintraub
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December 21, 2009
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Even a year ago, most would have scoffed at the idea of Apple having to partner with Microsoft to fight off Google.  Google and Apple even shared two Directors, including Google CEO, Eric Schmidt.  Microsoft, on the other hand, has been Apple's traditional rival since Windows was released two decades ago.

What a difference a year makes.  As RWW and PCWorld point out, the idea isn't as far fetched now.  Apple and Google are no longer friendly, no longer share directors and most importantly now compete in key areas.  Apple's most important product for the future is the iPhone platform and Microsoft is hardly competing in this area.  Google, on the other hand, seems to be the up and coming threat to Apple's iPhone.

This rivalry has been getting nasty lately with Google swopping in and picking up Admob before Apple could buy it, then Apple buying Lala after Google started making bids.   Before that, Apple turned down Latitude and Google Voice (and Navigation?) on the iPhone.  Google has started to release its products on Android first, if not on Android-only.  Apple bought Placebase this year, according to some, to replace Google Maps on its iPhone platform.

Google also has a new laptop OS on the way that will run a WebKit based Chrome browser which could compete with OSX/Safari.  They also have free office apps which compete with Apple's paid-for platform.  Speaking of paid services, Google offers a free alternative to Apple's MobileMe.   Microsoft also competes in these fields but it might make sense for the two giants to fend off the up-and-comer at some point.

Microsoft and Apple already have done work on the iPhone to support Exchange, while Google Apps is more difficult to get working natively on the iPhone.

Would it surprise anyone to see Apple offer Bing as a search alternative in Safari?  How about Microsoft building iPhone versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint?  That's only the beginning.

If Google continues to encroach on the two giants' main revenue generators, I'd expect to see much more 'cooperation between Cupertino and Redmond.

Comments (22)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 6:13pm

Do you think Apple will develop its own search engine in the future? Is there a scenario where that would make sense?

Mr Lizard (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 11:22am

The search business is essentially an ad business. It only makes money if people click on the ads and sponsored links.  Put too many sponsored links in though, and people flock to an alternative search site (people like quality, relevant results when they search)

 

Google have struck a careful balance here which works brilliantly for them.  In revamping the Live search, Microsoft's Bing is a very well executed response. I can see Apple switching to Bing in a heatbeat, but only once they have weened their maps application off Google's platform.

 

Developing a new search business from the ground up would be costly, and would reap little reward in the near term. The other option is for Apple to buy a smaller search business (Ask.com?)

 

That said, I think it's much more likely Apple will simply partner with someone like Bing, and instead focus on more tightly integrating web search into their products.

Bubbles (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 3:23pm

What you say makes sense - doubt Apple would go up against Google while there are two key apps - Maps on the iPhone and iPhoto that both depend on Google maps.

 

Apple switching to Bing seems more likely than starting their own search - apple just aren't into ads.

KiDo (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 6:15pm

I find this very likely, but i really think steve ballmer has to give up if this ever happens, he's been so apple picky lately it's hard to imagine him working together with Apple.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 6:28pm

Apple will never ditch Google for Bing. Google is the best search engine out there. It's the rest of Google's endeavors Apple needs to worry about... search is harmless. iPhone versions of Office apps would be a huge moneymaker for Microsoft though. Forget giving Apple a "competitive advantage"... Microsoft is a software company and they'd sell a ton of apps.

R (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 6:33pm

I don't know....  Google and Apple are "competing," but not really in the same cutthroat way M$ came after Apple years ago.  If anything,  Google seems to be seeking to become the Microsoft of the ad-driven era, a time when customers come first, profits come first, and public image comes first, too.  This is co-existence in the modern era.  

 

Apple seeks for customers to offer their money up front while Google seeks to get the same cash somewhat indirectly, through advertisers.  (Interestingly, Apple is more up-front.)  

 

And then there is M$.  Win, win, win, win.  $, $$,...,$$$$$$$$$.  Big, big, BiG, BIG!  M$ is capable of trying to "partner" with anyone (a la praying mantis) but no one is now unaware that they eat their mates, so....  Unless Apple loses its soul, no way. 

 

Apple:  give me your money.

Google:  give me your money, but it's your friend's, so it's ok.

Microsoft:  me love you long'tine.  Seriously.  Long'tine.  Five dollah.  

 

...ok... foh.

 

Mobius (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 7:06pm

What of Apple's Mac vs. PC ads? Right now, I don't think Apple is a threat to Microsoft. Microsoft's business market sector will always be using Microsoft's products, and Mac is still considered a niche product by many.  If MS and Apple were to cooperate, I could only see MS helping Apple to expand their niche.

ropes (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 7:33pm

Apple and Microsoft co-operating? I believe it when I see it.

 

Microsoft has always supported Apple products. It's Apple that has always been the stinker.

 

What you mean is, "Is there any possibility that Apple will actually acknowledge and co-operate with Microsoft?"

 

My magic 8-ball says, "Outlook not so good."

 

Especially since Apple just bought their own mapping stuff. Which will have no real functionality, be very pretty, and not be free.

Robert N. Lee (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 8:59pm

This is nothing new. Apple’s been in business with MS lots of times. They’re like the Elizabeth Taylor of tech giants – they date and marry everybody, and then after they break up with them, they hate them and say nasty things about them. And then sometimes they date them and marry them again!

Check the history of TrueType fonts, which Apple folks tend to dismiss as inferior MS product, but was actually developed by MS and Apple together while Apple was in the middle of not being in love with Adobe anymore.

Then they decided they hated MS and loved Adobe again, and stuck with Type 1.

That’s Apple!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 1:30am

Mr. Lee:

A better question is why do posters like you feel like posting opinions about things they know nothing about. "Check the history of TrueType fonts, which Apple folks tend to dismiss as inferior MS product," NO YOU check the history. True Type was developed by Apple Computer (not Apple and MS) and licensed to MS. Apple developed True type to force Adobe to lower their 1000$ per computer license fee for the postscript interpreter. It worked. True type has serious shortcomings and was abandoned by Apple once it served it purpose. It had nothing to do with love. So of everything Mr. Lee wrote, the ONLY accurate part was that Apple was a developer of True Type fonts. But they was the ONLY developer. Of course it makes sense that the innovator of so many of the computer innovations we use today gave up their own "superior" technology (True Type) for a competitor's "inferior" product.  Because of "love." 

9-to-5 Mac do you not have sanity checkers? 

But some people will say anything to try and somehow attack Apple. Apple has enough wrong with it that it don't need fools making up "history."  

 

That's Robert N Lee! 


9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 8:27pm

Ehy, I'm a long time Mac user and think you will get used to these attacks. Oh, and why post - entertainment? I love to speculate, measure myself with Steve... :-O

 

Kirk (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 1:32am

Mr. Lee:

A better question is why do posters like you feel like posting opinions about things they know nothing about. "Check the history of TrueType fonts, which Apple folks tend to dismiss as inferior MS product," NO YOU check the history. True Type was developed by Apple Computer (not Apple and MS) and licensed to MS. Apple developed True type to force Adobe to lower their 1000$ per computer license fee for the postscript interpreter. It worked. True type has serious shortcomings and was abandoned by Apple once it served it purpose. It had nothing to do with love. So of everything Mr. Lee wrote, the ONLY accurate part was that Apple was a developer of True Type fonts. But they was the ONLY developer. Of course it makes sense that the innovator of so many of the computer innovations we use today gave up their own "superior" technology (True Type) for a competitor's "inferior" product.  Because of "love." 

9-to-5 Mac do you not have sanity checkers? 

But some people will say anything to try and somehow attack Apple. Apple has enough wrong with it that it don't need fools making up "history."  

 

That's Robert N Lee! 


Michael (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 10:31pm

Apple worked on a Intel version of OS X for years before switching - they don't seem jump to conclusions or products for that matter. Now what if an Apple search engine was in the works and are looking for some support to launch it right - delivering a better search experience from day one? I see a lot of similarities between early Windows and Google. Not really a good product, but everyone uses it... (have you ever tried to re-find something on the web?)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 11:27pm

Not sure what it is you guys are smoking, but you should lay off it.

 

At the very least you just demonstrated that you have absolutely ZERO clue of the relationship between Apple and Google.

 

Dan (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 1:55am

Well, the truth is that even months after Google announced the avalability of Exchange-based Google Sync, the service is still extremely unreliable when used with iPhone... If it wasnt for the push thing, I would immediately switch back to IMAP.  maybe it's not an accident...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 3:24am

Google is kicking Microsoft butt right now so why should Apple help Microsoft. Google has more to offer Apple these days even though they compete in some areas. I also think that Google has pretty much killed off any Linux movement.

 

Apple survived Microsoft all of these years and it will survive the Google years. Apple is quite happy with being a niche player. Google wants to rule the world  and we all know how that turns out.

Mr. T (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 6:45am

"so why should Apple help Microsoft"

Because the enemy of your enemy is your friend?! Google competes in more and more Apple areas. It is reasonable to think of a cooperation to fight back.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 7:53am

I could care less about who's cooperating with, or competing against, Apple. I'm just really curious what Steve said that's cracking up Bill in that photo.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 11:43am

What does "swopping in" mean?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 2:02pm

I say Apple just needs to be patient just a few more months and all the stuff Schmidt stole before he left will run out and Google will return to being a search engine and nothing more. All their "innovative" products will all-of-a-sudden dry up. Mark my word...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 2:53pm

I think Google Android will have a long time effect on Apple. Imagine if the world had no Android, all those cellphone makers would still struggle with WinMobile 6.5 and Apple could have sell more iPhones. To punish Google, the best way is to stop all iPod/iPhone ads from Apple. Stop feeding them first and then attack it with their enemies like Microsoft by providing default search engine in Safari to Bing (and users could change it if they want). Balance of power is very important.

New on here (not verified) | December 22, 2009 - 3:36pm

have their own phone, their own 4G network, and operating system - scary thought, but think about it - Android/Chrome + $$$$$$ - it can be done. Hopefully they will have strong competition from both Apple and MS when this happens.