• The Financial Times (UK) et al., Tuesday, June 1, 2010 12:32 PM

Jeopardizing the "fr" in Google and Microsoft's long-held "frenemy" affiliation, Google is reportedly phasing out the internal use of Windows due to ongoing security concerns. "We're not doing any more Windows," an unnamed Google employee tells the Financial Times. "It is a security effort."

"The directive to move to other operating systems began in earnest in January," explains FT.com, "after Google's Chinese operations were hacked, and could effectively ended the use of Windows at Google, which employs more than 10,000 workers internationally."

"It's hard not to see a bit of significance in this," writes Daily Tech.

Indeed, "Being pushed out of Google would be a major PR blow to Microsoft, writes The Guardian. "Though the revenue implications are tiny for Microsoft, the suggestion that one of the largest online businesses is unable to secure Windows could have serious implications for its public standing."

Coming to Google's defense, The Next Web writes: "Anyone who has been around computers for any length of time knows that more viruses and spyware are directed toward Windows PC's than any other operating system ... It's a simple matter of numbers."

'Bull,' was effectively the response from Frank Shaw, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Corporate Communications, over the weekend. "Google going google, okay, but free pass from FT on reason = bad reporting," Shaw tweeted.

While Digital Daily doesn't totally discount the security issue -- "given Windows' history of security vulnerabilities" -- it argues: "Google's increasingly vicious rivalry with Microsoft clearly plays a role here as well, as does the forthcoming launch of its own competing operating system, Chrome OS."

"Obviously, Google would eventually love it if its employees used its own Linux-based desktop OS product, ChromeOS, as soon as its is ready for prime time," writes Fortune. "For now, though, Apple's Macs and, to a lesser extent, Linux are the answer."

Read the whole story at The Financial Times (UK) et al. »