Google needs competition & who but Microsoft: Gates

Economic Times exclusive

“Everything Google hasn’t shipped yet is exciting. It’s after they ship it that it becomes not exciting.” Thus spoke Bill Gates, when ET asked the Microsoft founder for his reaction to arch-rival Google’s recent announcement of a new operating system for computers.

Google’s proposed foray into computer operating systems may be its most direct attack yet on Microsoft , but Mr Gates was unfazed, as he continued to poke fun at the internet search titan.

Google’s promise was more exciting than its performance , he appeared to suggest. “Like Google Talk. There have been operating systems... they had Android and then another one... how many do they need? The more the better.

I think Google will announce a couple of more next week! Nobody knows what it is and it is more fun to talk about these but... (look at) Android . We all know what it is. There are plenty of operating systems out there and the fragmentation is confusing, particularly how fragmented Linux has become.”

However, Mr Gates also showed respect for Google . He admitted that Bing, Microsoft’s upgraded search tool, was unlikely to become the dominant search engine anytime soon. “But there are people within Microsoft who dream of such glory... I spend a little bit of time and help out. After all, Google needs some competition and who the heck is going to do it but Microsoft... ”

Mr Gates may these days spend only a fifth of his time at Microsoft, but he is still very much up there when its comes to the company’s ability to compete, and take on everyone, including Google.

Microsoft is hoping the Windows 7 Operating System , which is set to replace Vista launched three years ago, could get buyers of new software and for upgrades back to its fold. But as it readies for the October launch of Windows 7, Google appeared to have stolen its thunder, with its low-key announcement of its own OS, Chrome, a few weeks ago on a company blog.

While the jury may still be out on whether Google’s Chrome, due to hit the market in mid-2010 , or Windows 7 will capture the world’s imagination, Mr Gates, now a senior statesman, is sure of one thing: the future of software is only getting brighter.

A large number of innovations come from the Microsoft Research Centers worldwide including Bangalore . But with the US erecting visa barriers and asking companies to create jobs locally, global R&D and business activity could be hit. Mr Gates has a take on that.

“Immigration restrictions are terrible for the US. The recession may have made it even more difficult politically to get the system changed, but my personal voice and that of Microsoft very strongly is that the system is bad for lots of individuals, for the US, for the country and so we will do our best to try and get that changed.”