Comments on: With Google Chrome out of Beta, will the browser wars re-ignite? http://wekti.com/2008/12/12/with-google-chrome-out-of-beta-will-the-browser-wars-re-ignite/ Geek stuff... Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:09:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Steve http://wekti.com/2008/12/12/with-google-chrome-out-of-beta-will-the-browser-wars-re-ignite/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Steve Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:07:48 +0000 http://wekti.com/2008/12/12/with-google-chrome-out-of-beta-will-the-browser-wars-re-ignite/#comment-64 @Greg - I agree, Corporate IT definitely enforces IE in some cases, but it's largely been because their apps didn't support FireFox. With Microsoft cross-supporting FireFox (and actually doing it pretty well), that might slowly change. Both Safari and FireFox support other search engines aside from Google, and I'd wonder exactly how much revenue they're making from referrals to Google. There are plenty of add-in toolbars for FireFox (Yahoo, Ask.com, Delicious, StumbleUpon, etc.) that would re-direct traffic away from Google. In terms of revenue producing services: do you really think browser integrations have that much to do with consumer choices about where to go for Internet content? I would imagine most people make decisions based on what works best, not what their browser is recommending them to do... If they were that susceptible to suggestion, then they're probably not going to be ones switching from Internet Explorer anyway, right? I think relative to Microsoft's core businesses, the revenue from Internet Explorer (both direct and indirect) is probably pretty small, especially considering that MS Office alone is a ~$16billion business for them. But I welcome any evidence to the contrary! @Greg – I agree, Corporate IT definitely enforces IE in some cases, but it’s largely been because their apps didn’t support FireFox. With Microsoft cross-supporting FireFox (and actually doing it pretty well), that might slowly change.

Both Safari and FireFox support other search engines aside from Google, and I’d wonder exactly how much revenue they’re making from referrals to Google. There are plenty of add-in toolbars for FireFox (Yahoo, Ask.com, Delicious, StumbleUpon, etc.) that would re-direct traffic away from Google.

In terms of revenue producing services: do you really think browser integrations have that much to do with consumer choices about where to go for Internet content? I would imagine most people make decisions based on what works best, not what their browser is recommending them to do… If they were that susceptible to suggestion, then they’re probably not going to be ones switching from Internet Explorer anyway, right?

I think relative to Microsoft’s core businesses, the revenue from Internet Explorer (both direct and indirect) is probably pretty small, especially considering that MS Office alone is a ~$16billion business for them. But I welcome any evidence to the contrary!

]]> By: Greg Glockner http://wekti.com/2008/12/12/with-google-chrome-out-of-beta-will-the-browser-wars-re-ignite/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Greg Glockner Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:56:32 +0000 http://wekti.com/2008/12/12/with-google-chrome-out-of-beta-will-the-browser-wars-re-ignite/#comment-63 Steve: Good post overall but you're off the mark in two details. First, there's a second reason that many people use IE: many corporate IT departments force users to use IE. They declare IE (frequently IE6) the official browser and lockdown computers so that users cannot install additional software such as Firefox. As for revenue, you're also incorrect: Safari and Firefox get paid by the search engines (primarily Google and Yahoo) when people use the built-in search box. This is the primary source of revenue for Firefox. So Google can keep this revenue for themselves when people use Chrome. Furthermore, Chrome encourages people to use Google search and other Google tools, keeping these people on Google websites. Microsoft does the same thing for IE. In effect, the free browser is the hook that gets you to the revenue-producing online services. Steve: Good post overall but you’re off the mark in two details. First, there’s a second reason that many people use IE: many corporate IT departments force users to use IE. They declare IE (frequently IE6) the official browser and lockdown computers so that users cannot install additional software such as Firefox. As for revenue, you’re also incorrect: Safari and Firefox get paid by the search engines (primarily Google and Yahoo) when people use the built-in search box. This is the primary source of revenue for Firefox. So Google can keep this revenue for themselves when people use Chrome. Furthermore, Chrome encourages people to use Google search and other Google tools, keeping these people on Google websites. Microsoft does the same thing for IE. In effect, the free browser is the hook that gets you to the revenue-producing online services.

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