Google senses Microsoft monopoly, Yahoo drives up purchase price

 
Search engine provider Google is not at all pleased about Microsoft's expansion plans. After it became known that the software giant had made an offer of almost 45 billion dollars to the faltering website Yahoo, Yahoo's competitor Google has now reacted with strong words. Google Vice President David Drummond accused Microsoft of aiming for an Internet monopoly with the purchase of Yahoo. The new conglomerate MicroYahoo would dominate the market, particularly in messenger and e-mail services. "It's about the fundamental principles of the Internet: openness and innovation," Drummond wrote in the official weblog of the company from Mountain View in the US state of California. Microsoft rejected the accusations and warned against a Google search monopoly. A merger with Yahoo would lead to more competition in Internet search and online advertising. "If monopolists call monopolists monopolists, then we are in the Internet year 2008," wrote the online platform Wuv.de very aptly.Microsoft had stated, citing market research data, that Google controlled three quarters of global search sales, while Microsoft and Yahoo together accounted for 20 percent.
According to the latest industry rumors, Yahoo is currently planning to drive up the price for the takeover by Microsoft and is also considering cooperations with Google or a sale to another interested party.
As was announced on Monday, Google has now offered its arch-rival Yahoo "all possible help" to fend off the takeover. Google boss Eric Schmidt offered Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang his full support over the phone. There is now intense speculation about a cooperation between the two search giants. Yahoo could outsource its own Internet search at low cost and run it via the Google search function. However, Google's own takeover bid is considered unlikely for competition law reasons.