New Delhi |Updated Feb 27, 2024, 05:58 PM IST
Key Points:
- Microsoft approached Apple multiple times between 2009 and 2020 to propose Bing as the default search engine for Safari.
- In 2018, Microsoft offered to sell Bing to Apple or establish a joint venture, but Apple declined due to concerns about Bing’s quality and features.
- Despite repeated attempts, discussions between Microsoft and Apple did not progress beyond initial stages, and Google remains the default search engine for Safari.
For years, Google has reigned supreme in the online search space, with Google Chrome serving as the default web browser for many smartphones, including Apple’s iPhones. However, recent revelations from unsealed court documents shed light on Microsoft’s attempts to disrupt this dominance by pitching its own search engine, Bing, to Apple.
According to reports by CNBC, court documents from the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google revealed that Microsoft had approached Apple on several occasions, advocating for Bing as the default search engine for the Safari browser on iPhones. However, Apple consistently rebuffed these proposals, citing concerns about Bing’s ability to compete with Google in terms of quality and features.
In 2018, Microsoft escalated its efforts by offering to sell Bing to Apple or establish a joint venture. This move was aimed at disrupting Google’s stronghold in the search engine market. However, Apple declined the offer, with Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, expressing reservations about Bing’s search quality and investment compared to Google.
Cue stated, “Microsoft search quality, their investment in search, everything was not significant at all. And so everything was lower. So the search quality itself wasn’t as good. They weren’t investing at any level comparable to Google or to what Microsoft could invest in. And their advertising organization and how they monetize was not very good either.”
Despite Microsoft’s persistent efforts, discussions with Apple failed to progress beyond initial stages. Consequently, Google remains the default search engine for Safari on Apple devices. Reports indicate that in 2021, Google paid Apple a substantial $18 billion to maintain this status quo.
The revelations come amidst an ongoing antitrust trial against Google initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice in January 2023. The lawsuit alleges that Google violated the Sherman Act by engaging in monopolistic practices in the digital advertising market. While Google contends that competition exists in the search market, antitrust enforcers argue for divestment of Google’s ad manager suite to curb its dominance.
Microsoft’s failed attempts to sway Apple underscore the intense competition and strategic maneuvers within the tech industry, particularly in the realm of online search and advertising. As the battle for market share continues, stakeholders await further developments in the ongoing antitrust trial against Google.
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