Google: No Web browser plans

Google executives said they have no plans to build a browser and downplayed threats from Microsoft’s new advertising system and plans to bundle search into the next version of its operating system.

Following complaints from the investment community that Google doesn’t offer enough insight into the company’s business and strategy, Google executives on Wednesday held a live question-and-answer Webcast with analysts.

Asked if Google would consider developing its own browser, as has been speculated for some time, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said, “We would only do so…if we thought there was a real user benefit.”

Google makes decisions on what products to develop based on what users want and not on what rival companies are doing, he said. “The industry is obsessed with this browser question. And our observation is you have a number of good browsers now,” including Firefox and Apple Computer’s Safari.

In response to a question about how Google executives feel about the possibility of losing revenue to advertising customers who may jump ship to Microsoft’s new AdCenter, Schmidt predicted that the impact of the competition will be either neutral or positive to Google’s business because it will likely encourage even more people to buy ads who aren’t already doing so.

Full story: c|net News.com