A European Union antitrust judgement against Google on Wednesday invites more competition from software developers including Microsoft Corp, Amazon.com Inc and Samsung Electronics Co, but still leaves them at a disadvantage, industry executives and analysts told Reuters. The EU found that the Alphabet Inc unit illegally bolstered its dominance in the mobile business since 2011 by forcing Android device makers to pre-install Google Search and its Chrome browser together with its Google Play app store, paying them to pre-install only Google Search, and blocking them from using modified versions of Android. ALSO READ: Google to appeal against $5 bn penalty by EU in Android antitrust case The ruling aims to open the door for Samsung, Lenovo Corp and other phone makers that have been tied to selling devices full of Google applications to start using some alternative software from the likes of Microsoft and Amazon without the device losing too much of its consumer appeal, according to EU press statements and EU sources on condition of anonymity. Smartphone vendors could even charge the other software makers to have their browsers or search engines set as the default on Android smartphones, said Ian Fogg, vice president of analysis at OpenSignal, which helps wireless carriers map their networks.
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