Apple and Google, sitting by the tree.....

Well, it seems that the best of friends, Apple and Google, have turned in to bitter enemies and it is not going to get easier between the two. I knew that as soon as Android was announced, this will get ugly sometime in the future. If you think about it, it was matter of time Google challenged Apple’s dominance in iPhone with Android. Both companies knew they had conflict of interest in board members and that forced Schmidt out of Apple’s board, which was the first sign of their strained relationship. Google is not going to stand by and see a lucrative market be dominated by others when they know they can dominate the market in a few years with right strategy and money. It’s like Microsoft all over again, except Google gives away their technology, funded by search engine revenues.

So, it seems that Apple rejected Google’s Voice App for iPhones because it threatened their cash stream, well, more likely their partner AT&T’s cash cow. When the government went to investigate the reason for the rejection (such is the job of government bureaucrats) Apple said we didn’t reject the app. Now Google is saying Apple did reject the app. He said She said.

I am big Apple fanboi but I think Apple blew this one. They are acting like Microsoft. Yes, companies have right to defend their turf if others threaten it. However, government will come fix it so you can’t do whatever you want to do. Look at the net neutrality mandate government set in motion. If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t be able to get to all web sites because it is a private site. Secondly, I think Apple is lying. I think they did reject the app, regardless of semantics of their action. They are trying to back peddle right now but I think the government will come down on them and they will eventually admit their wrong doing and move one. Their guilt is not rejecting the app, it will be lying to government investigations. Sounds familiar? Hello, Barry Bonds.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for the future of media and internet dominance. Google already announced a ebook reader to compete with Amazon and Sony. I have a feeling that Apple is working that as well. As for the next fight? Net-tablet-light computer device. Whatever it’s called, I am pretty sure Apple is working on it and Google can’t be too far behind. Finally the current buzzword of the day, cloud computing. In this area, Google is ahead of Apple and Microsoft, both of which just starting to get in to the market with their applications and file storage.

So, will they ever be friends again? Of course. This is the Silicon Valley after all, where the term Coopetition was coined. They will work together, Google needs Apple for the distribution of their software and search engine. Apple need Google’s technology to enhance their products. However, this spat will definitely put a damper in their relationship.