I doubt it will have escaped your attention that yesterday the Internet was full of talk about Microsoft's deal with Yahoo to use Bing on their homepage in exchange for 88% of the ad generated profits for 5 out of the 10 year deal. If this deal passes the regulation of anti-trust investigators in the US and EU it will mean that the number 2 search engine powered by Yahoo will join with the number search engine, Bing in what is obviously an attempt to take on the giant which is Google. Now, they say it will provide "better choices for consumers and advertisers", but I'm not quite sure I see it their way really. Combining two of the top search engines into one sounds more like it is less choice as instead of two different search algorithms you'll be getting one, and that means the same ordering of results.
Yahoo seems to be the source of a lot of controversy when it comes to them trying to actually succeed. They've been in talks previously for a possible take-over by Microsoft, and have also had a failed partnership with Google after anti-trust concerns. I think this latest partnership will prove to be just as unsuccessful as I can see it raising serious anti-trust claims again.
Microsoft never really got off on the right foot when it came to web search engines and now they're trying to do whatever it takes to muscle their way into the number one spot. Rebranding their search engine as Bing has helped to pique interest in what most people thought of as a poor search engine and web portal. I think their rebranding and re-engineering has really revitalised it though and even on their own they'll probably gain ground over Yahoo eventually anyway, but it still doesn't seem right that these two giants should work together and remove choice from the user. It will mean the main options are either Google or Bing, it's pointless to see Yahoo as a separate entity.
In reality this will mean only two companies are competing and driving forward innovative new ways of searching, and it could spell disaster. A two horse race is not always a bad situation to be in though as it can sometimes mean a fiercer competition; the example I'm thinking of is actually quite topical for this month too - the space race. Whilst it's true other agencies looked at space travel, it was the United States and the (then) USSR which drove forward advancements in rocket technology as neither wanted to come in last. It could well prove true here, but it will depend on how dedicated Microsoft really are to advancing their own technology and whether they are willing to pour a lot of funding into this endeavour.
