Pressed by an incredulous Battelle, Schmidt replied, "I'm sure Microsoft will have a response. They actually have a set of Web-based products they can talk about."
The DoubleClick acquisition, Schmidt said will benefit both Internet users, in the form of more relevant ads, and publishers, in the form of technology to serve relevant ads. "Advertising is really about relevance," he said.
Reminded by Battelle that Google co-founder Sergey Brin had said that it wasn't Google's style to work with a company associated with obtrusive, gaudy ads like DoubleClick, Schmidt said, "Since 2004, they've made a lot of changes to the way they operate."
Schmidt said that Google's plans to integrate DoubleClick's systems with its own were just beginning. "Advertising ... is both an art and a science and we can provide the science to the artists," he said.
Asked about anti-trust concerns raised following the disclosure of the DoubleClick deal last week, Schmidt offered a deliberate pause before responding dryly, "Microsoft? Did you say Microsoft and AT&T? What is the year?"
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
