Sebastian Rupley at GigaOM posted about Mozilla’s dependence on Google and the threat Google’s Chrome browser and operating system pose to Mozilla. Firefox is a record-smashing open source success, but the future of Mozilla may be in doubt. More than 90% of its revenue is generated from search-related deals, including the search box in Firefox that directs users to Google’s web search. Apparently, Mozilla’s deal with Google is set to expire in November 2011.
This is not to say Mozilla is shaking in its boots, however. Google Chrome OS may not take off quickly (recall my post about the inability to install 3rd party software in Chome OS). Also, Mozilla is responsible for the Thunderbird, the best email client, which may be popular with those reluctant to rely on cloud storage. Finally, Mozilla’s Raindrop project could be a real win, although it will face still competition from Google Wave. The real question is how Mozilla can monetize Thunderbird and Raindrop. This may determine the fate of Mozilla.
[partly via GigaOM]
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Jon Mallin
Founder of Tech Bottle Blog. Attorney & Amateur Blogger. B.A. University of Michigan 1997 and J.D. NYU School of Law 2000.
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