Microsoft and Time Warner Team Up Against Google 137
PlayfullyClever wrote to mention a Reuters report on an online advertising deal between Microsoft and Time Warner. The two companies are teaming up to take on Google's advertising network. From the article: "The [WSJ] said the two companies were now focusing on a deal that would combine their advertising-related assets, with little or no money changing hands. It said they expected to reach an agreement before the end of the year, but that it was still possible that Time Warner's America Online unit could strike a deal with competitor Google instead."
PlayfullyClever = Troll (Score:5, Interesting)
assets are one thing... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:MSFT and AOL (Score:3, Interesting)
Though I must admit Sony has raised the bar so much it's hard to hate MS with a passion anymore. Compared to Sony, MS is pretty good.
Throwing their money down the drain... (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't think anything will happen, other than a bunch of money being spent.
If they really wanted to compete, they would hire a bunch of really bright people, form a new company for them to work at, with a new independent management team, and money to spend. Let them go after Google using the best tools and technologies, and then give them an instant market by using whatever they come up with at Microsoft/AOL/TimeWarner.
Re:MSN Quick Fix (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:MSN Quick Fix (Score:5, Interesting)
They like its simplicity and the fact that it's pretty good about giving them something close to what they were looking for, even with some of the weirdest keyword queries I've seen.
Anecdotal, I know, but don't rule out Google's mindshare even among the technically incompetent.
Trust (Score:4, Interesting)
Trust.
Google appear to put the user first. Indeed, that's where they started, building a search engine to help people. Money came later (and haven't they done well?).
Microsoft and Time Warner started with wanting to make money. That comes - and, more to the point, feels as though it comes - way before the user.
And we don't trust them.
Google ads rely on advertisers (the person with the ad, and the person with the ad space) trusting them to put the right ads in the right place. Google does - and everyone makes money. Trust, trust trust - the foundation stone of trade.
But who would trust Microsoft and Time Warner to do that?