Google Has No Plans for Own Web Browser

Google Inc. has no plans to build its own Web browser software to compete with rival Microsoft Corp., Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said.

During a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Schmidt dismissed speculation that the Mountain View, Calif.-based company aimed to tie together its Web search and other services to compete with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, the world’s dominant Web browser.

However, Schmidt left the door open to developing a browser if it saw some clear utility to users that was not otherwise being met in the market. “We would only do something ... if we thought there was a real end-user benefit,” he said.