Mozilla is set to remove Google from its lofty seat atop Firefox browsers, for Russian language users at least, in favor of rival Russian search engine Yandex. Now the default search provider for the Russian version of Firefox 3.1 (due in a matter of weeks), the move is a big win for Yandex, and a loss for Google in the Russian market.

Harvey Anderson, Mozilla General Counsel, wrote that after research efforts were conducted that Mozilla came, "to the conclusion that our Russian users really wanted direct access to the Yandex search services in official Firefox RU builds. As a result, we’re planning on setting Yandex as the default search provider for the Firefox 3.1 Russian locale builds (these changes should go into the current beta for testing). This means that, upon download and launch, the Firefox Start Page for RU locale builds will use Yandex for search queries, and the search bar will default to Yandex."

The Google-Mozilla relationship is essential to both parties: it gives Google massive distribution, and provides Mozilla with most of its revenue. And yet the Yandex move, plus Google's debut of Firefox competitor Chrome, must surely cause a little friction in this mutually beneficial relationship.

[via CNET]

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