Google has struck a deal with Sony that will see its Chrome web browser pre-installed on some Sony computers.
It is thought that Chrome will be installed on select Sony laptops in the coming months, putting Google in direct competition with Microsoft, whose Internet Explorer web browser comes as standard on many computers.
Both Google and Sony have refused to comment on the specific terms of the deal, and it is unclear which Sony computers will be affected by the agreement, and whether the roll-out of Chrome will be restricted to the United States in the first instance.
However, as Sony's computers run Microsoft's Windows operating system, it is likely that Chrome will run alongside Internet Explorer, which is also pre-installed on most machines.
"Users' response to Google Chrome has been outstanding, and we're continuing to explore new ways to make Chrome accessible to even more people," said a Google spokesman. "We are in the process of testing one such channel with Sony."
Google's web browser accounts for just under three per cent of the global browser market, according to recent data from Net Applications. Internet Explorer, by contrast, has a 67 per cent market share, while Firefox accounts for around 22.5 per cent of the browser market worldwide.
The deal between Sony and Google represents a serious challenge to Microsoft's dominance of the desktop computing space. Google has also announced plans to develop its own operating system, which is aimed primarily at low-power machines and netbooks, and will act as an access point for cloud computing services.
Microsoft has been criticised for its practice of pre-installing the Internet Explorer browser on new computers running the Windows operating system. Makers of other browsers have argued that the practice is anti-competitive, a claim the European Commission is currently investigating.
Microsoft had previously announced that its forthcoming Windows 7 operating system would be sold in the UK and Europe without Internet Explorer pre-installed in order to comply with the Commission's requests. However, it will now sell European consumers a full copy of Windows 7 that features a "ballot box" system, allowing them to choose which browser they would like to install and run.
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