Microsoft clashes with Google over new Google software

Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. clashed Wednesday, as the two giants traded barbs over a new Google software offering.

Microsoft said Google's new Apps Sync software disables the search capabilities of Microsoft's popular Outlook email program.

Google acknowledged an issue with its software, which it released last week. But Google disputed the severity of the problem, and said it is working to improve its software.

Apps Sync, which is aimed at businesses, allows users to merge data between Google's email and calendar service and Outlook.

The dispute illustrates the potential for tension between the two giants as Google seeks to encroach on the software turf of Microsoft while Microsoft attacks Google's search business.

In a post on a company blog, Microsoft's Outlook product manager, Dev Balasubramanian, said Apps Sync includes a "serious bug/flaw" that disables Outlook's ability to search data like emails and contacts.

Google product manager Chris Vander Mey said in a blog post that Apps Sync disables Windows Desktop Search, a separate piece of software, because it doesn't work properly with Google's software, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Microsoft accused Google of disabling the search capabilities of the mail programs outlook. Google acknowledged an issue with the new software but disputed the severity of the problem…Google has Microsoft on the run otherwise you would not hear from on this issue but essentially it is doing well Microsoft did to the web surfing business 10 years ago when they knocked Netscape out of the game. Google, those they control the eyeballs they can move them toward a Google applications bit by bit. It is about putting things on to the web and off of the desktop Microsoft is about being on the desktop and Google is trying to squeeze them out of it, SeekingAlpha reports.

Of course, it does not matter whether this is an oversight or intentional on Google’s part, the fact is that Microsoft’s dominance in enterprise email is being threatened. Google is still the upstart in the applications business compared to Microsoft, and the vast majority of business still use the Microsoft Office suite. However, these two giants continue to invade the other’s territory, as we have seen with Microsoft’s re-emergence into relevance with its new Bing search engine. We expect that this is not the last time these two will tussle over competitive and compatibility issues.