Flock have recently launched version 0.7.4.1 of their ’social web browser’ - which I’m almost tempted to call the ‘best web browser ever released’.
Flock for those of you not familiar is a web browser powered by the same core rendering engine as FireFox. So when browsing the web you’ll see the same high quality results you’ve come to love and expect from Firefox.
However Flock has expanded on FireFox by enhancing the functional browser interface and integrating new social networking features such as photo sharing, blogging and online bookmarking. Embedded into the Flock browser is the ability to transparently synchronise browser bookmarks with del.icio.us, drag and drop photos as you browse into a Flickr account, and drag text or images into a ’snippets’ bar that acts as a temporary storage area as you surf (similar to Googles own Notebook service).
Flock is very Yahoo centric. The default Flock homepage is a Yahoo search page, the default search bar searches Yahoo, the default bookmarking service is del.icio.us (owned by Yahoo) and the default photo sharing network is Flickr (again owned by Yahoo).
Yahoo was once the dominant player in search and information categorisation but recently has been consistently second behind Google.
Google may often be first to launch products to market, but it’s Yahoo that delivers services that grow and evolve organically to user feedback. Google tend to launch products and leave them on the shelf. Yahoo do not.
Neither company owns a web browser. The only search company that owns a web browser is Microsoft who owns the ailing Internet Explorer and MSN / live.com search portals.
If Yahoo were to buy out the company behind Flock, and therefore own the Flock browser, this would put them in a very strong and very attractive position to both mainstream consumers and the next generation of web developers.
First off, Yahoo would own one of the most innovative browsers around today.
Secondly, most of the integration with social networks has already been done - and already done with Yahoo’s own products (Flickr and delicious).
Lastly, this would give Yahoo a very clear and visible ‘innovational’ lead over Google - something I’m sure they’re keen to do - and fast.
The only way Google could fight back is to purchase the only viable browser left on the market - Opera - but that would be a shame.
So how long before Yahoo! acquires Flock??
Comments (5)
Hi Matt:
You have a very good point regarding the strategic of Yahoo gobbling Flock. Your arguments are rock solid.
In my opinion, Opera and Flock would be excellent companies to be purchased by Google or Yahoo. Their market share would increase exponentially.
Cheers,
Omar.-
Well, if Yahoo bought Flock, and then Google bought Opera - what would happen with the development of web browsers in the future? Would innovation be stiffled, or would it bring on the next big wave of innovation and technological advancement?
I would say that if Microsoft, Yahoo and Google had their own browser, there would certainly be a great leap forward in the way the future browsers would perform.
Using your words, it would “bring on the next wave of innovation and technological advancement”. I have no doubts about it.
The question is, will it happen?
Regards,
Omar.-
It’s only a matter of time. Google have a huge cash reserve, and Yahoo wouldn’t want to be left out.
Google does “own” a web browser. It’s called Firefox. Google pays Mozilla Corporation for Google searches, so it is behooven for Mozilla to highlight Google in their browser and search box. I don’t Google very much — results are not as accurate as other search engines for my searches — I get too much spam. Also, I hate ads.