Google has stepped up its efforts to take on Microsoft Office with the $625m (£310m) purchase of web-based security provider Postini. The search engine giant said the deal would allow it to provide more companies with web-based services similar to its Google Apps package. Postini sells encryption and archiving software to more than 35,000 businesses and 10m users across the globe. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter.

“With this transaction, we’re reinforcing our commitment to delivering compelling hosted applications to businesses of all sizes,” said Google chairman and chief executive Eric Schmidt. “With the addition of Postini, our apps are not just simple and appealing to users - they can also streamline the complex information security mandates within these organisations.” The acquisition is the third biggest announced by Google after it snapped up DoubleClick for $3.1bn in April and its $1.65bn takeover of YouTube.

Google has been moving closer to directly taking on Microsoft’s Office package of applications with the launch of a number of popular business web services including email, calendars, spreadsheets and word processing. So far its Google Apps service has been adopted by 100,000 business, the firm said.

“The complaint says that Vista’s indexing service cannot easily be turned off and creates a drag on system resources when operating at the same time as rival indexers, like the one in Google Desktop Search. Google argues that this behavior is anticompetitive”

-via ars technica

Google is over doing it this time. This is absurd and the complaint will be throw out. Vista search performance and UI is better, if you using XP use Google desktop search, on Vista the in-built search is excellent. I see no reason why Microsoft should provide alternatives, it is their OS.

So they should give an option for every 3rd party app. that is out there? All that will be left is the core system programs and explorer, wait there will be a 3rd party explorer too! Rubbish!

Why is it when Microsoft adds anything to their operating system it’s anti-competitive, but when anyone else adds to theirs it’s a feature?

Well ask Google to provide search alternatives like ask.com and Live Search on their page or stop whining and start build their own freaking OS! I guess their ‘Don’t be Evil’ motto is still beta.

When you punch ‘Popfly’ into Google this is what the first result comes up as…

Or is it the other way round?

“Google have done the deal to launch Google Mobile and branded Nokia phones following a conversation with 02. Expect this announcement in a few weeks.” - Sam Sehti

Google News gave me such a terrible summary and definetly not related to the article. Looks like they are trying to integrate adsense to their news story? (jk)

Searching for Google Checkout might bring up this adsense ad!

[via]

Search anything related to Microsoft using the Special Microsoft search by Google. Interesting, eh?

http://www.google.com/microsoft

Today is a bad day for any acquisition stories. You can never tell if they are pranks or for real!

According to ‘The Flat Panel and a Phone‘, Google bought iotum for half a billion bucks!

“After almost 3 months of negotiations Google has agreed to buy iotum in an all cash deal of $520m.”

“Sergey Grin of Google was ecstatic about the new purchase and explained to me why he was so enthusiastic - “iotum is the missing piece in our puzzle.”

“NOW we will also know, thanks to iotum where and what you are doing at any given time which will make our advertising much more relevant.”

Well, I am going to put this as another April 1st Prank! ahhhh!! Enough! I am out.