In this post from Official Google Blog, David Drummond writes:
So Microsoft’s hostile bid for Yahoo! raises troubling questions. This is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another. It’s about preserving the underlying principles of the Internet: openness and innovation.
While I appreciate Google’s openness (certainly relative to Microsoft’s historical behavior) and innovation, I’m enthusiastically applauding any effort that challenges them.
Google’s building an on-line position of dominance not unlike Microsoft’s off-line monopoly. And they’ve earned it: they’ve executed well, they have good technology, they’re incredibly profitable, they’re hiring the best people, and they’re investing heavily in R&D.
But the system works best when there’s competition. Yahoo and Microsoft certainly each have their issues, but anything that’s a threat to Google’s dominance…..it’s all good.