Apple eyes Microsoft's Bing as possible replacement for Google on iPhone

(Microsoft Corp.)

A history of Microsoft vs Apple rivalry may be slowly coming to an end (and hell may be freezing over) if you are to believe Bloomberg's Businessweek January 20 article entitled "Apple, Microsoft Discuss Giving Bing Top iPhone Billing."

Former Microsoft "frenemy" Apple is reportedly shopping around for a search-engine alternative to Google for its iPhone platform as its "hand holding relationship" with the internet giant turns sour.

Microsoft's Bing is a prime candidate for the job as the deal would enable Bing to gain much-needed market share in the mobile-search sector. Apple would benefit too, as Microsoft would more than likely offer Apple a higher cut of the mobile advertising profits than the company currently receives from Google to seal the deal.

According to Bloomberg, representatives from Apple and Microsoft have been discussing the possibility of a search engine deal in the past couple weeks.

"A deal between Apple and Microsoft may mean iPhone owners would automatically get Microsoft's Bing as the main search engine, possibly requiring users to actively change phone settings if they want to search via Google," wrote Bloomberg's Peter Burrows and Cliff Edwards.

Apple is also said to be quietly working away behind the scenes on its own search-engine and mobile advertising solutions, implying that the Bing deal may be "short-lived".

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2010/tc20100119_759795.htm