This is the product announcement that was made just prior to making the browser available for download on the Google Chrome web site.

Related posts:

1. Google announces Chrome browser
2. Google Chrome: it’s glue, silly
3. SEO/SEM presentation for download

The post continues and provides a broader context for Chrome:

All of us at Google spend much of our time working inside a browser. We search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser. And in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with friends — all using a browser. Because we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if we started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that’s what we set out to build.

On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple. To most people, it isn’t the browser that matters. It’s only a tool to run the important stuff — the pages, sites and applications that make up the web. Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go.

If you run Windows, you’re in luck.  You’ll be able to try out Google Chrome tomorrow. If you’re running OS X or Linux you’ll have to wait, those versions of the new web browser aren’t being released at this time (but are under development).  The Windows version should be available when Google switches on the Chrome web site at this URL: http://gears.google.com/chrome/?hl=en (it currently redirects to Google’s homepage).

There’s far more to Chrome than a new web browser coming to market to challenge Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Safari.  Chrome will undoubtedly tie into several other Google initiatives with Open Social at the top of the list.  Chrome also creates a new venue for Google Gears applications, as the open-source local runtime will be built into the browser.

In addition to the blog posting Google also posted a link to a comic book on Google Chrome.  Feel free to craft a clever joke regarding the comic book angle and send it to me, my creativity is still enjoying Labor Day.

Read the entire Google Chrome Announcement.

If you’re interested in the current browser landscape, there’s a great article over on cnet news.

Related posts:

1. Google Chrome announcement [video]
2. Google Chrome: it’s glue, silly
3. Marketers and Developers: There’s (finally) a Google Analytics API

Here’s Microsoft’s response to… Google’s response to… Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo (hey, I wonder what they think):

The combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! will create a more competitive marketplace by establishing a compelling number two competitor for Internet search and online advertising. The alternative scenarios only lead to less competition on the Internet.

Today, Google is the dominant search engine and advertising company on the Web. Google has amassed about 75 percent of paid search revenues worldwide and its share continues to grow. According to published reports, Google currently has more than 65 percent search query share in the U.S. and more than 85 percent in Europe. Microsoft and Yahoo! on the other hand have roughly 30 percent combined in the U.S. and approximately 10 percent combined in Europe.

Microsoft is committed to openness, innovation, and the protection of privacy on the Internet. We believe that the combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! will advance these goals.

The statement was posted to Microsoft’s PressPass site on Sunday evening by Brad Smith, General Counsel, Microsoft.  Whose lawyer wants to weigh in next?

Related posts:

1. Google: Microsoft’s Yahoo bid bad for innovation, consumers, Internet
2. Yahooooooo! Check out the big brain on Ballmer.
3. Microsoft retracts bid for Yahoo!

The statement directly takes critical aim at Microsoft’s history, character and intent. From Google’s statement:

Could the acquisition of Yahoo! allow Microsoft — despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offenses — to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the Internet? In addition, Microsoft plus Yahoo! equals an overwhelming share of instant messaging and web email accounts. And between them, the two companies operate the two most heavily trafficked portals on the Internet. Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors’ email, IM, and web-based services?

Google’s statement is ‘to be expected.’ If anyone is going to be scrutinized for making a technology acquisition on such a scale it’ s Microsoft. If any one company is going to provide commentary, it’s Google. Clearly Google sees the threat in the potential marriage, and it isn’t immediately in the search realm. The statement doesn’t explicitly focus on search in and of itself because while Microsoft capturing 30% of the search landscape does create the beginnings of a threat for Google’s dominance in search, it still only adds up to about half of Google’s search share.

What Google fears is Microsoft leveraging one strong position to overcome a seemingly insurmountable force as they successfully did in the 90’s—leveraging their OS dominance to catapult their Internet Explorer browser past Netscape’s marketplace dominance. Google’s long-term concern revolves around the potential collective customer-base for web services and share of global web traffic Microsoft’s acquisition of Yahoo would create, and how those positions could combine with Microsoft’s other offerings (including its OS dominance) to create a real threat to Google’s strong foothold in search, and thus online advertising. The technology and investment communities clearly understand this. Real discomfort aside, Google’s statement is a nice podium for flying the good guy flag, especially in the wake of a year peppered with articles questioning Google’s dominant market position and trust.

Google’s statement follows murmurs on Friday that Microsoft’s bid is unwelcomed and a threat as well as reports that Yahoo has engaged Google as a potential ally in fending off the hostile takeover.

Read all of Google’s press release regarding Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo.

Related posts:

1. Microsoft to Google: Our lawyer thinks your lawyer is wrong
2. Microsoft retracts bid for Yahoo!
3. Yahooooooo! Check out the big brain on Ballmer.

With both companies online efforts consistently marginalized by Google’s dominance in search and online advertising and a premium price on the table, it is hard to envision this not happening.

Excerpts from Steve Ballmer’s letter to Yahoo’s board:

While online advertising growth continues, there are significant benefits of scale in advertising platform economics, in capital costs for search index build-out, and in research and development, making this a time of industry consolidation and convergence. Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a credible alternative for consumers, advertisers, and publishers. Synergies of this combination fall into four areas:

Scale economics: This combination enables synergies related to scale economics of the advertising platform where today there is only one competitor at scale. This includes synergies across both search and non-search related advertising that will strengthen the value proposition to both advertisers and publishers. Additionally, the combination allows us to consolidate capital spending.

Expanded R&D capacity: The combined talent of our engineering resources can be focused on R&D priorities such as a single search index and single advertising platform. Together we can unleash new levels of innovation, delivering enhanced user experiences, breakthroughs in search, and new advertising platform capabilities. Many of these breakthroughs are a function of an engineering scale that today neither of our companies has on its own.

Operational efficiencies: Eliminating redundant infrastructure and duplicative operating costs will improve the financial performance of the combined entity.Emerging user experiences: Our combined ability to focus engineering resources that drive innovation in emerging scenarios such as video, mobile services, online commerce, social media, and social platforms is greatly enhanced.

Emerging user experiences: Our combined ability to focus engineering resources that drive innovation in emerging scenarios such as video, mobile services, online commerce, social media, and social platforms is greatly enhanced.

While Microsoft’s move does imply a failure in its online services venture, Yahoo’s position isn’t much  more impressive.  This may very well be the best things for both companies efforts as well as for the end consumer.  Having a strong, motivated, mature competitor to challenge Google’s dominance will ultimately lead to more innovative, end-user directed efforts.  I’d prefer to see a Micrsoft+Yahoo model scrap with Google in the online services arena than for Google to set its agenda without looking over their shoulder.

Impact

The impact is substantial.  This will create a formidable rival to Google in not only the search and online advertising space, but in the broader, increasingly important online services ecosystem in which all three companies currently jockey for position.

Integration

Insofar as Integration of the two companies, it will not be easy.  While Microsoft and Google clearly have common goals, they do not have common cultures.  I would suspect that Microsoft would handle it not unlike their acquisition of aQuantive, allowing offerings which previously represented distinct companies and offerings to largely continue to function somewhat independently while clear integration strategies are defined.  Both companies are massive, and the transition would take years to be complete.

What’s in it for Microsoft?

• Yahoo’s excellent online brand-reputation.
• Search and online advertising assets and exposure – For search volume alone, the merger would propel them to (just under) a combined 30% search market share, leapfrogging them into a competitive position with Google.
  Online services customer/visitor base (ex: Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger) – Yahoo represents the most trafficked properties on the web.

What’s in it for Yahoo?

• Microsoft has the bankroll to finance an all out David and Goliath battle with Google.  Yahoo simply does not.  If they did, Yahoo would hold a much different position in the marketplace today.
• For Yahoo, search, online advertising, and online services is the basis of their entire business.  Failure in this space hurts Microsoft.  Continued marginalization in this space risks Yahoo’s existence in the long term.

Perspectives on Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo from around the web:

• Microsoft Unveils $44.6 Billion Bid For Web Ad, Search Rival Yahoo (WSJ)
• Why Microsoft’s Yahoo bid makes sense (CNNMoney/Fortune)
• MSFT + Yahoo: What Would Microsoft Yahoo Look Like? (Search Engine Land)
• Paid Search Advertising Drives Microsoft Bid for Yahoo (Search Engine Watch)
• WOW.  Microsoft Offers $44.6 Billion To Acquire Yahoo (TechCrunch)

Related posts:

1. Microsoft to Google: Our lawyer thinks your lawyer is wrong
2. Google: Microsoft’s Yahoo bid bad for innovation, consumers, Internet
3. Jerry Yang and Yahoo’s internal suicide pact