Microsoft was willing to drop Bing name to nab Apple search deal

Microsoft Corp was willing to hide its search engine’s ‘Bing’ brand on Apple Inc devices in order to secure an agreement with the iPhone maker and unseat Google, Nadella testified on Oct 2. — AP

Microsoft Corp was willing to hide its search engine’s “Bing” brand on Apple Inc devices in order to secure an agreement with the iPhone maker and unseat Google, chief executive officer Satya Nadella testified on Oct 2.

Taking the stand at Google’s antitrust trial, Microsoft’s Nadella described the lengths his company was willing to go to become Apple’s default search engine, a position that Google currently enjoys. That included offering “strategic flexibility” on how to brand the search engine and encouraging Apple to look at its technology independently of the Bing brand.