Rumour: Apple mulling over search engine creation

by Stevie Smith - Nov 14 2008, 13:00

If current rumours are to be believed, trend-setting computer and gadgetry titan Apple Inc. is dissatisfied with the existing online search options available to its popular mobile devices. So dissatisfied, in fact, that it’s seriously considering addressing the problem directly through a mobile search solution of its own.

According to the likes of technology blog TechCrunch and dedicated fan site AppleInsider, the Cupertino-based company is mulling over the possibility of creating a “more approachable” search engine that would be better suited to Apple-branded hardware.

A report published by TechCrunch claims to have sniffed out Apple’s plan after several unnamed sources hinted that Steve Jobs and co. are already immersed in the process of developing some sort of complementary search engine.

Yet, dismissing the idea as quickly as it had been suggested, the report then points to a distinct lack of tangible evidence and remains clearly sceptical of the possibility of Apple ever branching fully into the search arena.

“If Apple were building a search engine, they’d be hiring search experts and engineers,” it poses. “We’ve talked to a ton of them at all the big companies, and while some of them heard the same rumors, none have lost search employees to Apple, or heard of any specific hirings.”

Given that particular rumour appears to be a non-starter at this point -- not least due to the absolute market dominance of Google -- resultant fan overspill has splashed out more speculation pointing to Apple instead looking into the creation of an exclusive Apple-centric user interface.

If any substance emerges from this particular round of industry whispering, the overlay is likely to still depend on a third-party engine to root out its search results, but will present those results with the style and visual flare more readily associated with Apple’s mobile devices.

However, placing scepticism to one side, given that the online search advertising industry was worth an estimated $45 billion USD in 2007 (source: Kelsey Group), it perhaps isn’t hard to see why Apple wouldn’t at least be tempted by the prospect of dethroning Google -- something market rivals Yahoo and Microsoft have both failed to accomplish.

Building on that idea, industry watchers TGDaily suggest Apple could make such inroads on-the-cheap right about now, given that a desperate Yahoo Inc. seems rather keen on selling itself to a recently snubbed and now seemingly uninterested Microsoft Corp.

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