If there was any doubt left about Google's ambitions when it comes to software, then the news of the software partnership between the online search engine leader and Dell should cast away any doubt... and give headaches to those at Microsoft.
Press agencies inform that Dell and Google have signed an agreement according to which Dell PCs will be delivered with preinstalled Google software. Even if the two companies haven't offered any details yet, it seems that the main applications are Google Desktop Search and Google Toolbar. Aside from that, Google will be installed as the default search engine on the Dell PCs.
If the information presented by Wall Street Journal will prove accurate, Google will pay a certain tax to Dell as part of this agreement, although no financial terms have been revealed yet.
The news about the potential partnership came up just a few weeks after Google publicly accused Microsoft of favouring their own search engine – MSN search – which will be set as a standard in the upcoming Internet Explorer 7. Considering those facts, the partnership between Google and Dell may be interpreted as an answer to Microsoft's decision.
In any case, if confirmed, the agreement between Dell and Google will prove beneficial for both sides, offering Dell a chance to increase their profits as well.
For Google, this one may not be the first partnership which tries to promote its software products, as the Internet leader already had a similar deal with Sun. But it may be the first time when we assist a partnership between Google and a hardware producer. For Google, the victory is as greater as Dell selected the search engine's offer after an auction where the Mountain View-based company's rivals were Microsoft and Yahoo.
What's even more remarkable is the fact that the strategy of teaming up with hardware producers in order to offer preinstalled software was "invented" a few years ago by none other than Microsoft. Besides, even Bill Gates was admitting at some point in an interview given last year that Google is very much alike their company, in some aspects.
For Microsoft, which is still not decided about the release date for Windows Vista, the news of such a partnership is only making things more complicated.
And you can bet that, if the Dell-Google model will be successful, it will be soon adopted by other hardware companies as well. So, since we're at the speculations part, the rumours (more or less faboulous) about Google launching their own operating system still seem so unreal, considering all these facts?
