Mozilla Renews Firefox Search Royalty Deal With Google
Given the fact that Mozilla's livelihood depends on Google's search revenues, it is good news that Mozilla was able to renew the agreement. There is no information how much money Google paid to Mozilla in 2011, but we know that 84 percent of $121.1 million in licensing fees in 2010 came from Google. There was some speculation that Google may have ditched Mozilla, but Firefox still holds somewhere between 20 and 25 percent browser market share and it would be foolish for Google to let that go and allow Microsoft to pick up that share for Bing. Search remains Google's core revenue source and as long as Mozilla has substantial share it is unlikely that Google will drop Mozilla.
Mozilla said it signed a "significant and mutually beneficial revenue agreement with Google." Gary Kovacs added that "this new agreement extends our long term search relationship with Google for at least three additional years." There was no information on the financial terms, but it seems that Mozilla's funding has been secured until the end of 2014, which should give the organization breathing room to build up its browser platform strategy.
Anyone noticed how outrageously similar Bing is to Google in terms of looks? It's practically a clone
Good to see that FF will live for now, 20 to 25% "market" share? IDC, Chrome can't replace Firefox for me and as long as FF doesn't try to copy Chrome's model too much (dumbed down GUI, advertised superior speed and real speed equal to FF's, stuffing the browser into every other application download), I'll just keep using it.
c'mon...gui comment, check...stuffing browser (and serious advertising for it)...check...advertised speed = ff speed? really?
they have won TH browser grand prix quite often. even if a few hundred milliseconds don't feel like an unreasonable wait to you, the numbers do add up, overall...and while benchmark numbers can be manipulated, you can view the source data and draw your own conclusions.
that said, you like ff...keep using it. if you are trying to refute some benchmarks or cite bogus claims in advertising, bring some numbers so that we all may be better informed!
On my PC chrome is a lot faster, not on searches but on it actually starting. FF keeps popping up stuff, tweak this, add that and once I'm actually done with all that it still takes longer to start.
Also "dumbed down GUI" what do you use as your search engine, the "dumbed down" google? or the cramped up Yahoo?
On topic: Good to hear for Mozilla, I want them to stick around :>
That's the only thing Chrome is good for, benchmarks. On my PC, they take the same time to start and load pages.
FF doesn't bother me with anything, but Chrome does, so I waste time. Search engine is a simple tool (on the outside), thus the UI needs to be simple. Browser is NOT simple - at least I don't want it this way.
I think more importantly for Mozilla is this takes the revenue concern and puts it behind Mozilla. But they still have to deal with Chrome taking more users from Firefox.
PS: That's A LOT of money for a search box!
Firefox has some issues lately, but it would be a shame to see them go under.
As for the Chrome browser, I'm not to happy with it.
Minimalist interface -which I kinda like-, but still wasting a boatload of pixel-estate in the top section.
But they are up to version "16". Laugh.
Guys, spend less time deciding on new version numbers and more time on making browsers compatible.
If I have a fairly basic webpage and it looks different in each browser something is not right. As a web designer I would rather have consistent rendering results than some new gizmo effect and yet another new version number.
FF is basically a rotting corpse. No need to kill it, it's decaying by itself. They have no search engine, they have no OS, they have no platform of any kind. They are dependent on their greatest competitors. Their competitors know they are weaklings, and can be pillaged whenever it's advantageous. They exist only by the grace of Google and Microsoft being so competitive. Neither wants to cause so much harm that FF goes into the other's camp.
Google probably offered FF a good deal, because if they didn't, Microsoft has some deep pockets to offer a good deal. Without Microsoft, Google would have offered them scraps and told them to like it. It's also why Microsoft remains on good terms with Mozilla. They aren't a real threat.
Mozilla needs their own platform, or they're situation will remain tenuous and unpredictable. Depending upon your adversaries to keep you alive only works because they each have bigger enemies (each other), but it's too delicate a situation to work forever.
They better wise up.
... and that's part of why I like them. They're a BROWSER. No "integration", no nonsense, plain and simple.
I'll keep using Firefox, as it allows me to browse without selling my soul to a megacorp.
Actually, a search engine is a lot of work, especially a good one. It's a big project.
You're kind of missing the point though. It's not about you, as a user. It's about Mozilla. How would you feel if your source of revenue was coming from one source, and it's an aggressive competitor? Mozilla doesn't generate much money except through Google. That's scary right? Now, let's say you don't have to use them, but can use another company, and that company also happens to be a competitor. Hmmmm, also scary.
Their source of revenue is from companies competing aggressively with them. You don't see any problems with that?