Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Bing is worse than Google and pledges to do all it takes to improve it.
During the US v. Google antitrust trial, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella claimed that Bing is behind Google because being the default search engine on a device is essential for success. He emphasized that other search engines find it challenging to compete as a result of Google's agreement with Apple to make Google Search the default browser on iPhones.
Google Search is currently at the top among search engines. Although there is a large number of search engines, including well-known rivals like Microsoft's Bing, Mozilla's Firefox, and Yahoo, nothing has yet surpassed and outperformed Google. And Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella acknowledges this reality. In his testimony in the US v. Google antitrust trial, Nadella acknowledged that his company's Bing search engine is inferior to Google's and declared that he would stop at nothing to improve it.
Nadella, who was testifying in court, reduced his explanation of why Microsoft wants to compete with Google to a single word: money. "In my opinion, search is the most popular software category currently available. Before I discovered Search, I used to think Windows and Office were attractive businesses, according to Nadella, as quoted by The Verge. He continued by saying that Bing has generated revenue for Microsoft despite having a small market share.
Nadella, though, pointed the finger at Apple when asked why Bing hadn't been able to surpass Google. He pointed out that Google's significant agreement with Apple to become the default search engine on the iPhone is one of the main reasons Bing isn't as good as Google. He acknowledged that it would have been a game-changer for the business if Apple had accepted Microsoft's offer to make Bing its default browser.
He even admitted that Microsoft was willing to lose $15 billion annually, hide the Bing brand for searches conducted on Apple devices, and comply with any privacy demands made by Apple in order to make Bing work and work with Apple.
According to Nadella, Microsoft's agreement with Apple was not just about money but also about competitiveness. He said, "We needed to be less greedy and more competitive.
Microsoft proposed the deal for iPhones
According to Nadella, if Microsoft's agreement with Apple to make Bing the default search engine had been successful, it would have increased "query flow," or the volume of people using Bing. More data would have been produced as a result, which the Bing team might have used to improve the search engine. Advertisers would have become more interested in using the platform as Bing developed and drew more consumers.
The "virtuous cycle" of search engines is what Nadella referred to as the upward spiral in which increased usage, data collection, and advertising result from improved search engines. In Nadella's opinion, this positive feedback loop could have enabled Bing to surpass Google in terms of search quality. However, it has been a vicious circle for Bing, which has struggled to garner user queries, data, advertisers, and users.
Nadella did point out that the agreement between Microsoft and Apple to make Bing the default search engine for iPhones had not worked out well. He emphasized that the sale fell through because of the financial benefits of Google's agreement with Apple and made a suggestion that Apple would be hesitant to break off its relationship with Google out of fear of possible reprisal.
Being the default search engine is essential for success, according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Google's financial agreements with device manufacturers have made it challenging for rival search engines like Bing to compete. In addition, he expressed concerns over Google's possible use of well-known services like Gmail and YouTube to advertise Chrome, which could cause consumers to stop using Safari. According to Nadella, Apple rejected Microsoft's bid because of this possibility. This concern, according to Nadella, is a major factor in why Apple and Google have continued to work together.