Monday, October 17, 2005

Microsoft Playing Nice

With all the focus on who their real competitors are (Google and Apple) they are now working with their long time enemies. They are working with RealNetworks in their effort to fight against apple and iTunes:

RealNetworks, the Seattle-based digital media company, on Tuesday announced a broad partnership with longtime nemesis Microsoft that also settles all the company's antitrust complaints. A series of agreements to share technology and promote each other's products could better position both companies to fight against Apple's market-leading iPod player and iTunes music service.

And they are working with Yahoo against Google:

Microsoft and Yahoo were announcing that they had finally agreed to make their instant messengers work together.

That deal is designed in part to take on America Online Inc.'s more popular instant messenger. But analysts say the companies also probably have one eye on Google, which launched its own messenger last month.

This fight is looking better and better as we go along. The reformed most-evil company in the world versus the company who vows never to do evil. It should be exciting to watch the cut and thrust of this new battle.

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