Google continues to stake out its territory online. The search-and-advertising giant announced Tuesday that it will bundle Adobe's Flash player with downloads of the Chrome browser, putting Google in sharper opposition to Apple -- and giving Adobe a powerful ally.
Google's decision to throw its weight behind Flash is an attempt to protect its turf -- the internet -- and strengthen its Android and Chrome operating systems for mobile phones, tablets and notebooks. By contrast, Apple's iPhone and upcoming iPad do not support Flash.
“Integrating Flash into Chrome is more of a signaling and partnership thing than anything else," says Michael Cot, analyst at RedMonk, a research firm that focuses on strategy and developer-related issues. “After all, anyone who wants to get Flash can otherwise download it."
A mere 5 percent of internet users run the Chrome browser today. But Google's dominance as a search engine and advertising network gives it both money and clout. The company's free, open source Android operating system is targeted at mobile phones and has already become popular with smartphone makers such as Motorola, HTC and Sony Ericsson. Separately, Google is planning to release Chrome OS, a new operating system for netbooks and tablets based on the Chrome browser.
In that context, Google's embrace of Adobe Flash has far greater significance than the browser's market share would indicate.
Google's decision to throw its weight behind Flash is an attempt to protect its turf -- the internet -- and strengthen its Android and Chrome operating systems for mobile phones, tablets and notebooks. By contrast, Apple's iPhone and upcoming iPad do not support Flash.
“Integrating Flash into Chrome is more of a signaling and partnership thing than anything else," says Michael Cot, analyst at RedMonk, a research firm that focuses on strategy and developer-related issues. “After all, anyone who wants to get Flash can otherwise download it."
A mere 5 percent of internet users run the Chrome browser today. But Google's dominance as a search engine and advertising network gives it both money and clout. The company's free, open source Android operating system is targeted at mobile phones and has already become popular with smartphone makers such as Motorola, HTC and Sony Ericsson. Separately, Google is planning to release Chrome OS, a new operating system for netbooks and tablets based on the Chrome browser.
In that context, Google's embrace of Adobe Flash has far greater significance than the browser's market share would indicate.
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