谷
歌(Google)和苹果(Apple)长期以来都是井水不犯河水，但如今两家公司都将收购的眼光投向了相同的一些硅谷初创公司，开发的产品更令两家公司面临着更为正面的交锋。据知情人士说，在苹果本月斥资8,500万美元收购网络音乐公司La La Media之前，谷歌曾认真讨论收购该公司的事宜。
另据知情人透露，苹果此前也曾经有意收购手机广告公司AdMob；谷歌在11月同意支付7.5亿美元收购这家初创公司。
谷歌发言人拒绝置评。苹果发言人同样不愿发表评论，只是说苹果有时会收购规模较小的科技公司，但不愿谈论收购计划。
两家公司看上相同的初创公司表明，双方都打算进一步深入对方的业务领地：苹果希望进军广告市场，而谷歌则有意介入音乐业务。
多年以来，这两家公司各自专注于科技市场的不同领域。谷歌主宰了互联网搜索，苹果则生产电脑和消费电子产品。
谷歌和苹果最高层曾有着密切联系──他们曾有两位共同的董事，其中就包括了谷歌首席执行长施密特(Eric Schmidt)。不过，由于监管部门的审查以及两家公司日益出现业务重叠，施密特在8月辞去了苹果董事职位。
谷歌正在开发一款操作系统，装载该系统的电脑将与苹果的Macintosh机器展开竞争。谷歌还发布了一款网络浏览器与苹果的Safari竞争。
两家公司还在手机领域展开了较量，像摩托罗拉(Motorola) Droid这样使用谷歌Android平台的手机正在挑战苹果广受欢迎的iPhone。两家公司都在努力吸引开发商为自己的机器开发软件──苹果在这个领域占据了领先优势。
谷歌已经率先为Android手机开发了更为先进的手机软件，例如一款软件可以使用户通过拍照进行搜索。知情人士说，谷歌还与手机厂商商谈生产具有更著名谷歌品牌和预装更多谷歌软件的手机。
知情人士说，苹果本希望收购AdMob，在旗下App Store的一些软件上做广告来创收。广告交易公司Mobclix说，目前苹果虚拟商店上的10万款软件中，大约有四分之一是免费的，通常是由广告支持的。
开发商在苹果软件商店中销售软件时，苹果要获得三成的收入，而免费软件和广告则让苹果无利可图。
与此同时，谷歌已经进入了手机广告领域。
知情人士说，苹果想收购AdMob也是为了作为一个防御措施，避免谷歌获得关于其App Store的具体情况。AdMob销售软件内嵌广告，可以接触到关于手机市场的数据。
与此同时，谷歌正对数字音乐领域越来越有雄心，苹果的iTunes在这一领域一直占据着主导地位。谷歌近期推出了音乐搜索和收听服务，Lala是其数个合作伙伴之一。
JESSICA E. VASCELLARO / YUKARI IWATANI KANE
Google Inc. and Apple Inc., which have long thrived without treading on one another's turf, are vying to acquire some of the same Silicon Valley start-ups and developing products that put themselves in more direct competition.
Google was in serious discussions to acquire online-music company La La Media Inc. before Apple won the deal this month for $85 million, people familiar with the matter said.
Apple also pursued a deal for mobile-advertising company AdMob Inc. say people familiar with the matter; Google agreed to buy the start-up in November for $750 million.
A Google spokesman declined to comment. An Apple spokesman declined to comment beyond a statement that the company occasionally buys smaller technology companies but doesn't discuss its plans.
The twin pursuit of the start-ups reveal that the two tech titans have further plans to move deeper into each other's business: Apple wanted to get into advertising, while Google sought a music service.
For years, the two giants focused on different parts of the tech market, with Google dominant in Internet search and Apple making computers and consumer electronics devices.
There were close ties at the highest levels -- with the two companies sharing two directors, including Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt. But Mr. Schmidt resigned from Apple's board in August amid scrutiny by regulators and increasing business overlap.
Google is developing an operating system that would run on computers that compete with Apple's Macintosh machines. It has released a Web browser that competes with Apple's Safari.
The two giants are also duking it out in the mobile arena, with phones using Google's Android software, like the Motorola Droid, challenging Apple's popular iPhone. Both companies are trying to lure developers to build applications for their devices -- an area where Apple has a head start.
Google has built more advanced mobile applications -- such as a service that allows users to search by taking a picture -- for Android phones first. The company is also talking to handset manufacturers about building phones with more prominent Google branding and more preinstalled Google applications, say people familiar with the matter.
People familiar with Apple's thinking say it wanted to acquire AdMob to profit off the advertising in some of the apps in its App Store. Currently, about a quarter of the 100,000 apps in Apple's virtual store are free to consumers, according to ad-exchange company Mobclix Inc., and are often supported by advertising.
While Apple takes a 30% cut of any app that a developer sells through its store, it makes no money off free apps or their ads.
Google, meanwhile, already has a footprint in the mobile-advertising arena.
These people say Apple also tried to buy AdMob as a defensive measure to keep Google from learning details about its App Store. AdMob, which sells ads inside applications, has access to data about the mobile marketplace.
Meanwhile, Google is getting more ambitious about digital music, an area where Apple's iTunes has been dominant. Google recently launched a music search and listening service with Lala as one of several partners.
JESSICA E. VASCELLARO / YUKARI IWATANI KANE
Google was in serious discussions to acquire online-music company La La Media Inc. before Apple won the deal this month for $85 million, people familiar with the matter said.
Apple also pursued a deal for mobile-advertising company AdMob Inc. say people familiar with the matter; Google agreed to buy the start-up in November for $750 million.
A Google spokesman declined to comment. An Apple spokesman declined to comment beyond a statement that the company occasionally buys smaller technology companies but doesn't discuss its plans.
The twin pursuit of the start-ups reveal that the two tech titans have further plans to move deeper into each other's business: Apple wanted to get into advertising, while Google sought a music service.
For years, the two giants focused on different parts of the tech market, with Google dominant in Internet search and Apple making computers and consumer electronics devices.
There were close ties at the highest levels -- with the two companies sharing two directors, including Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt. But Mr. Schmidt resigned from Apple's board in August amid scrutiny by regulators and increasing business overlap.
Google is developing an operating system that would run on computers that compete with Apple's Macintosh machines. It has released a Web browser that competes with Apple's Safari.
The two giants are also duking it out in the mobile arena, with phones using Google's Android software, like the Motorola Droid, challenging Apple's popular iPhone. Both companies are trying to lure developers to build applications for their devices -- an area where Apple has a head start.
Google has built more advanced mobile applications -- such as a service that allows users to search by taking a picture -- for Android phones first. The company is also talking to handset manufacturers about building phones with more prominent Google branding and more preinstalled Google applications, say people familiar with the matter.
People familiar with Apple's thinking say it wanted to acquire AdMob to profit off the advertising in some of the apps in its App Store. Currently, about a quarter of the 100,000 apps in Apple's virtual store are free to consumers, according to ad-exchange company Mobclix Inc., and are often supported by advertising.
While Apple takes a 30% cut of any app that a developer sells through its store, it makes no money off free apps or their ads.
Google, meanwhile, already has a footprint in the mobile-advertising arena.
These people say Apple also tried to buy AdMob as a defensive measure to keep Google from learning details about its App Store. AdMob, which sells ads inside applications, has access to data about the mobile marketplace.
Meanwhile, Google is getting more ambitious about digital music, an area where Apple's iTunes has been dominant. Google recently launched a music search and listening service with Lala as one of several partners.
JESSICA E. VASCELLARO / YUKARI IWATANI KANE
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