With Apple’s contract with Google for default search placement in Safari scheduled to end next year, both Yahoo and Microsoft are now actively courting Apple to be the next default search provider, according to a new report from The Information (subscription required). Google and Apple last renewed the contract in 2010, a deal that reportedly nets Apple around $100m per year.
Yahoo and Microsoft both have existing relationships providing data for Apple’s built-in iOS apps, such as stock data and Bing search results, and executives from both have apparently approached Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Internet Software and Services to attempt to woo Apple into considering one of them as the default search engine for iOS devices and Macs.
Apple had discussions with Microsoft about having Bing replace Google Search back in 2010, and a report last spring suggested that Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer was already attempting to influence Apple in Yahoo’s direction for some time as well; iOS 8 notably switched away from Yahoo for weather data, opting to get its data from The Weather Channel instead.
There is no other indication that Apple is considering making any changes to its current arrangements at this time, and the company is likely to focus on whichever company can provide the best user experience. [via MacRumors]
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