Microsoft Concedes to Google, Will Scale Back Search with Vista SP1

Published: June 27, 2007

by Alex Woodie

Representatives from Microsoft and Google were due to appear in court yesterday to finalize a plan to make Google's Desktop Search service integrate more easily with Windows Vista's integrated search capability. That concession will be apparent in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), which will likely be delayed from the end of 2007 to the beginning of 2008 as part of the change.

In April, Google filed a 49-page complaint against Microsoft with the Justice Department alleging the software giant made it difficult for users to turn off the default desktop search capability in Windows Vista and replace it with a third-party equivalent, such as its Desktop Search service. Google said Microsoft made its desktop search service run slow under Vista.

In a PDF-based status report posted to Microsoft's Web site yesterday, the Justice Department discussed a solution to Google's complaint that Microsoft has agreed to. As part of the agreement, Microsoft will create a way for users to choose which desktop search product they want to use. Microsoft also agreed to turn off its own indexing feature to prevent competing search services from running poorly.

The changes will be included with Vista SP1, codename "Fiji," which was currently slated to begin beta testing by the end of 2007, according to the status report. That timeline differs with previous Vista SP1 timelines that put general availability of Vista SP1 by the end of the year. It looks like Microsoft pushed GA of Vista SP1 back to give it time to build the new capability that gives users a choice over which desktop search service into the software.

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