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Baidu 360 reproduces border conflicts, next battle will face mobile search

This weekend, Baidu's defensive technology against 360 has once again triggered a border conflict between the two companies.


Beginning on January 26, many users of the Baidu promotion system (also known as "Feng Chao") when using 360 browsers to log in to the management background, find that they will be forced to install a new security plug-in. After installation, the plug-in is banned Users use 360 browser to log in, and it is recommended to use IE browser, Firefox, Google or Baidu browser to log in to the background.


As soon as the news came out, it quickly caused strong dissatisfaction of 360 companies. 360 believes that Baidu ’s move is similar to Tencent ’s forced users to “choose one of two” from QQ and 360 security guards, while Baidu promotion is a strong demand from Baidu Alliance, Baidu agents, and Baidu advertisers. "Choose one or two", in fact, there is no choice at all.


Boundary conflict reappears


On Monday afternoon, 360 Company held a media communication meeting to disassemble the operation process of the plug-in in detail. 360 browser advanced product summary Tao Weihua said that Baidu's security plug-in can take screenshots of users' computers and upload them to its server for identification. "Only trojans and spyware can take screenshots secretly, and Baidu's 'Sneak Shot Plug-in' is the first case in popular commercial software. "


"Baidu named its plug-in Baidu.Medusa. Once the plug-in is installed on a user's computer, Baidu can easily determine which browser the user is using to access the Internet, and then give an incompatible prompt specifically for the 360 browser." Tao Weihua Said that the Baidu Medusa plug-in will collect user system information, including computer CPU information, disk serial number, network address and network card information, all current process list and browser process list.


Tao Weihua said that at present the Medusa plug-in only targets second- and third-tier cities, avoiding the Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou regions where the regulatory authorities and the media are concentrated. In Beijing, only the use of foreign network agents can reproduce the behavior of the Medusa plug-in.


In Baidu's view, the Medusa plug-in is a defensive technology. Baidu claims that the "Fengchao" management system involves a large amount of funds and business transaction information of Baidu's agents and commercial customers, and has a very high demand for information security protection. "Browser, as the basic client software of the network, can be easily used by irresponsible developers to obtain customer information and other business data. Previously, many well-known companies such as Chery and Three Gorges Group have experienced internal browsing of certain company information. High-risk incidents uploaded and leaked by the camera. "


360 worried about Baidu products using security plug-ins


At present, the number of users of Fengchao is about one million. What concerns 360 is not only the millions of users that may be lost, but also the worry that Baidu uses this plug-in in Baidu's full line of products to force users to give up the 360 browser. "Medusa is a universal plug-in. Baidu is likely to use it in popular products such as know and post. 360 is most worried that Baidu will use it to force users to give up the 360 browser." Li Liang, senior director of 360, told Sina Technology.


Baidu issued a statement stressing that "Feng Chao" is an internal management information system for Baidu to cooperate with agents and customers. It is not for ordinary users, and the new security plug-in will not have any impact on the use of Baidu's products and services by ordinary users. . However, Baidu also said that the current "Feng Chao" security plug-in is being tested for some customers and will be promoted among customers nationwide in the future.


Internet commentator Hong Bo believes that Baidu's move is to protect key data of paying users and avoid potential risks. "Baidu did not force its own browser, but instead listed a bunch of trusted browsers for users to choose from. 360 used to deceively change the browser UA's method, which made many companies defenseless."


In the opinion of IT occupation expert Zhao Jiong, incompatibility due to technical or commercial interests is common in the industry. It is generally difficult to determine the violation of the law, and the reasons and original intention of incompatibility are usually not seen. "Baidu said that disabling the 360 browser is to protect corporate business information. The implication is that using the 360 browser can easily lead to the leakage or theft of business information. So the key is to see if this statement is true."


"This matter is different from the" two choices and one "in 3Q. It is targeted at Baidu's agents, advertisers, etc., not the general Internet users." Zhao Occupy said that the amount of funds in these customers' accounts is relatively high, for protection. Considering the security of funds and business information, it is not a big problem for customers to choose another browser, unless it is unfounded and the 360 browser is not secure.


Next War: Head-to-Head Mobile Search


Although the battlefields that Baidu and 360 are fighting for are on the desktop side, things that may actually subvert the search industry landscape may happen on the mobile Internet. Sina Technology was exclusively informed that at the 360 internal annual meeting, Zhou Hongyi emphasized the importance of wireless Internet. He preached to more than 3,000 360 employees that the next two years will determine the overall wireless Internet market structure.


Zhou Hongyu revealed that 360 companies currently have two pillars on the mobile Internet: 360 mobile guard users and 360 mobile assistants. The former has about 200 million users and the latter has over 100 million users.


"360 ripped a hole on the PC Internet, bringing a space for growth and an open space for the PC Internet, but on the wireless Internet, the Internet giants will learn from the experience of the PC Internet , Will more firmly control users and traffic, will not give any startups, small and medium-sized companies to develop opportunities. "Zhou Hongyi said.


Zhou Hongyi emphasized to the 360 search team that while continuously improving the PC Internet search experience, it should also consider how 360 search will be combined with smart terminals such as mobile phones in the future. "360 navigation stations and 360 videos will have opportunities on mobile phones. The key is how to let go of the ideological burden and lead an exquisite small team with an entrepreneurial spirit to find a dessert for users on the mobile Internet and promote it quickly."


Zhou Hongyi emphasized that there will be no wireless Internet companies in the future, because each company must be based on wireless Internet, and there will be no distinction between the PC product department and the wireless product department, because all products will be on the PC and mobile terminals Companies that get through without wireless internet strategies and products will be eliminated.


Coincidentally, Baidu CEO Li Yanhong also emphasized at the company's annual meeting that it will focus on the four major strategies of "traditional search, mobile cloud, LBS, and internationalization strategy." In addition, he directly manages Baidu's mobile division.


"Baidu has gone through thirteen years, and today the Chinese Internet is undergoing a transformation from PC to mobile. Baidu must usher in a second take-off in the mobile era. Standing here is like standing in a historical watershed." Li Yanhong Say.