Google partners Real, Mozilla

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -

Google Inc.

has extended a multi-year deal with RealNetworks Inc. to promote Google software

across Real's entertainment and multimedia products, the companies said on

Wednesday.






RealNetworks and


Google, together with Web browser maker Mozilla Corp., said they had agreed

to distribute the Mozilla Firefox browser together with the Google Toolbar along

with Real's RealPlayer audio and video playback software.






No financial terms were disclosed.





Google Toolbar
is a software program users install inside a browser, allowing them to more

quickly search the Web than by having to visit Google.com each time they wish to

do a search.






The deal, which builds on an existing two-year distribution pact between Google
and RealNetworks,

is the latest pact Google has signed with major computer hardware and software

companies to distribute its software.






In recent months, Google has set deals with PC maker Dell Inc. and software
maker Adobe Systems Inc.






By ensuring wide availability of its Web search software, Google is racing to
head off competition from Microsoft Corp. as it moves later this year or early

next year to release Vista, a new version of its Windows operating software with

more built-in search features.






All three companies compete in their respective markets with Microsoft. Mozilla
is the maker of the most popular Web browser alternative to Microsoft's Internet

Explorer browser.






The companies said that the Google Toolbar and Mozilla Firefox browser will soon
be made available as options for customers of RealPlayer,



RealNetwork's Rhapsody music subscription service and RealArcade games.