Neil HughesAccording to Reuters, staff with the FTC are prepared to recommend blocking Google's purchase of AdMob for anticompetitive reasons. An anonymous source told the news agency that the commission's staff believe there is a "significant competitive problem," and they will recommend that the FTC sue to stop the acquisition.
It was in late December that consumer groups asked the FTC to block Google's $750 million AdMob deal, citing both antitrust and privacy issues. Google agreed to acquire AdMob just weeks after the advertising firm met with representatives from Apple about a potential deal.
A recent report from The New York Times profiling the rivalry between Apple and Google said that the search engine willingly overpaid for AdMob just to keep the company away from Apple. Soon after the deal between Google and AdMob was struck, Apple responded by acquiring competing mobile ad firm Quattro Wireless.
Apple's move to purchase Quattro Wireless and establish its own advertising platform for integration into the App Store has been closely watched and even applauded by representatives from Google, who see the acquisition as evidence that there is competition in the mobile advertising space. Peter Kafka at MediaMemo noted this week that Google representatives sent e-mails to reporters to keep them apprised of rumors surrounding Apple's anticipated iAd platform.
Recent reports have said that Apple plans to introduce its new mobile advertising platform, a result of its purchase of Quattro Wireless, at a special event set for Thursday to preview the forthcoming iPhone OS 4.0. The new version of Apple's mobile operating system, which powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, is believed to add full multitasking support with third-party applications from the App Store. The preview event is scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific, and will give a "sneak peek of the next generation of iPhone software" at the company's Cupertino, Calif., campus.
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
AppleInsider Staff
47 Comments
I wonder if this opens the door for Apple to buy them now. I realize Apple already bought an alternative but perhaps they'd still be interested if only to prevent someone else.
haha... that's what you get Eric, you lil' thieving punk. Admit all you best beta ideas or stolen ideas including where to take your company because you lack vision and only think in short term profits and not company longevity.
This is certainly the start of the unraveling of google...unfunded android, android fragmentation, now the potential slap in the face from the FTC....
google, how about you stick to your other beta adventures, like figure out a way to keep junk/spam outta my inbox....even yahoo is way better at handling that...your crap maps always get people lost on the way to my place creating roads where none exist...
how about you improve your customer services you get paid handsomely for..
edit:
GOOGLE IS DOOMED!
I would not be surprised if this was the plan from the start. Google suspects it is about to become the next Microsoft, so quick, I need some competitors. Who better than Apple in this space.
haha... that's what you get Eric, you lil' thieving punk. Admit all you best beta ideas or stolen ideas including where to take your company because you lack vision and only think in short term profits and not company longevity.
This is certainly the start of the unraveling of google...unfunded android, android fragmentation, now the potential slap in the face from the FTC....
google, how about you stick to your other beta adventures, like figure out a way to keep junk/spam outta my inbox....even yahoo is way better at handling that...your crap maps always get people lost on the way to my place creating roads where none exist...
how about you improve your customer services you get paid handsomely for..
edit:
GOOGLE IS DOOMED!
Did Google touch you inappropriately when you were little or something?
Google and AdMob? Hellll no.
Google is becoming scary and I'm considering not using their products anymore.