Betanews: Google is Firefox's Christmas miracle
It's no secret that Mozilla needs Google. The Mountain View, Calif. search company provides a significant source of revenue for the software company, as it is the default search in Firefox. That deal has been extended an additional three years... Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it may be safe to assume that it will contribute somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million yearly to Mozilla's bottom line.
In 2010, the Google partnership accounted for 84 percent of Mozilla's $123 million in revenues or about $103 million. Losing such a lucrative partnership would spell trouble for the company considering its weakening position in the browser market.
Putting it simply: Google pulls out, and Mozilla collapses. That said it still poses an interesting dichotomy, where Mozilla's biggest benefactor is also now its biggest competitor. How much longer does Google let Firefox stick around, or better yet -- how much longer does Mozilla depend on Google for its well-being?
In 2010, the Google partnership accounted for 84 percent of Mozilla's $123 million in revenues or about $103 million. Losing such a lucrative partnership would spell trouble for the company considering its weakening position in the browser market.
Putting it simply: Google pulls out, and Mozilla collapses. That said it still poses an interesting dichotomy, where Mozilla's biggest benefactor is also now its biggest competitor. How much longer does Google let Firefox stick around, or better yet -- how much longer does Mozilla depend on Google for its well-being?
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