So I started to ponder this. In fact, we have written about it in past articles speculating on what's next as far as these 3 go.

In reality, I don't think there will be this big search war that everyone is talking about. There doesn't have to be. I think each of the big three (and a number of the smaller players including engines like Ask Jeeves, and even specialty engines such as A9) can all co-exist in this rapidly changing, ever growing market.

But for now, I'm going to focus on the so-called "Big 3."

Microsoft

We already know that Microsoft plans to integrate Desktop and Web search into a unified product as early as next month. Although the full power of such a search tool won't likely be realized until the eventual release of Longhorn, it will still be an impressive product out of the gate.

If Microsoft plays their cards right, the integrated solution can be a help and not a hindrance to it's users. After all, most users won't want to see another "Clippy". If Microsoft pulls it off, I can easily see applications using search "helpers" to find information on the web for users. Knowing the users preferences, the OS will be able to use smart technology to filter out results to find the most relevant information for the task at hand.

And by the time Longhorn is released with a more advanced, integrated search application, people may be more willing to accept the seamless transition between local results and web results. By this time people will want to bring more of the web to their desktop.

Google

Google, on the other hand is trying to move more of the desktop to the web. It does this by giving its users free applications to download and use, and then figuring out how to make money on these applications afterwards.

Let's not forget Google's mission: '"To make the world's information universally accessible and useful." They not only want to make the world's information accessible, but they want to make your personal information accessible to you, regardless of where you are.

By moving key applications to the web, they can do this. While search is the backbone of this, it isn't necessarily the be-all end-all of Google.

In fact, Google has lots of room to expand, if it really is trying to help make people less reliant on the desktop. Google could indeed be the Microsoft Killer, if they are able to convince enough users that, regardless of their desktop platform, they can perform virtually all the same tasks from any computer. But considering the general public's reliance on Windows, I don't think Google will be the Microsoft Killer. Unless of course it releases its own operating system. After all, people will still need a computer to access their web apps. And over 90% of the world's computer use Windows, so it's safe to say that if that was Google's intention, to replace Windows, they have a long way to go.

Yahoo!

Yahoo! on the other hand has obviously taken a different slant on the web. Rather than relying on search to drive traffic, they are positioning themselves to be the media portal of the web. Much like AOL tried to do a few years ago with it's acquisition of Time Warner, it became the largest media company in the world. (Perhaps they were ahead of their time?)

Yahoo! on the other hand is not buying a media empire, they are building it. Just start by looking at their executive team, former TV and print executives with years in the industry. Add to that some of the key acquisitions and partnerships they've formed over the past months, and a picture begins to emerge.

Much like AOL tried to do a few years ago, Yahoo! is planning its niche to be online entertainment. Search will be secondary, more of a convenience for those who wish to search while using one of the hundreds of other Yahoo! products, from broadband TV and movies to online games and music. Yahoo! wants to be THE source for online recreation. (An interesting side note, AOL just restructured so that they could take on Yahoo! - interesting considering AOL has much more experience in the online entertainment field and should be considered the veteran here.)

The Future?

As you may see, the Big 3, while currently competing for online market share - will be targeting different groups. They aren't all going to go after the biggest share of the search market, although search will play a large role in all their plans.

Essentially, Microsoft will own the desktop (no surprise there), Google will own web apps, and Yahoo! will own online entertainment.

Of course all 3 will overlap one another - Microsoft for example has been busily building up its media presence with the recent launch of MSN radio, and improvements to its media player. Likewise Google has launched its own desktop search application.

(Another side note - did you know that there isn't a desktop search application for Linux or Mac? That Google only built it for Windows based computers? That wasn't a random choice they made. Sure Linux and Mac aren't as popular in the desktop OS market, but they are gaining in popularity. To me this indicates a direct move into Microsoft's space.)

And there will be other overlaps in non-competitive areas - all 3 have instant messaging (Google's is hidden to an extent - it is called "Hello" and is built into the Picasa image application), and we will continue to see each release similar programs in the future.

But I do believe that all 3 can exist in the "new" internet. In fact they can all thrive if they pick their niche - that one place where they can be better than everyone else, and stick to it.

Rob Sullivan
Production Manager
Enquiro.com

Copyright 2004 - Searchengineposition Inc.