Microsoft Will Be Able to Compete with Google in Five Years - Softpedia

Microsoft Will Be Able to Compete with Google in Five Years - Softpedia: "Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, recently praised his company's efforts in the online struggle against Google and Yahoo, but didn't mention the moment when the Redmond company would be able to catch up with them.

According to Reuters, at a business luncheon in Silicon Valley, Ballmer said he did not enjoy trailing the two Web advertising leaders but predicted that persistence and the software maker's ability to create new technology would help it to catch up.

For the first time in the history of the battle between Microsoft, Google and Yahoo, Ballmer mentioned the period of time required by the software behemoth to breath in the necks of the other two.

'I don't think you will see some overnight transformation. It is going to have to be longer term. It makes sense for us to talk about five years,' Microsoft's CEO said."