Those who thought the browser wars were over got a rude awakening when news broke that Google had attacked Microsoft's ubiquitous Internet Explorer. But beyond a battle between titans, what does Chrome mean for marketers?

For those old enough to remember Netscape, news of Chrome -- Google's supercharged web browser -- must have ignited bittersweet feelings of nostalgia. After all, it was Microsoft's Internet Explorer that slowly but surely edged out popular browsers that didn't have the luxury of coming pre-installed on PCs. But that was another world, and today's web is a far cry from the centralized distribution model that characterized the internet a decade ago. That is why Chrome may be more than a mere browser or dagger aimed at the heart of Google's chief rival: Microsoft.

At its core, Chrome is indeed a browser, but pundits like John Battelle quickly picked up on the fact that the product is more akin to a web operating system.

"What this really tells us is that Google is dead serious about the distribution business, for one, and dead serious about the operating system business, for another," Battelle wrote in his blog.

What that means for the future of the web may not yet be entirely clear, but one thing is certain: Chrome is a challenge to a Microsoft paradigm that draws a distinct line between the web and the desktop. Where Chrome shines, according to observers like Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, is in its ability to amplify the punch of Google offerings like Docs, Gmail and other web-based applications. 

So what does all that mean for marketers? A lot, according to Noah Gedrich, who directs the software development teams at the BLITZ marketing agency.

"People are always looking for the best way to receive information on the internet, which is why more companies are creating customized browsers," Gedrich explains. "However, unlike most browsers, Google's Chrome has provided us with a tool to enhance how we view, interact and build both web applications and destinations. Its load speed, ease of use and support for existing design technologies has created a rich tool that will certainly become a popular platform to increase people's connectivity on the internet."

How popular? Well, Lehman Brothers analyst Douglas Anmuth issued a statement the day after Chrome launched predicting that the browser could gain 20 percent of the market share within two years. That may not be much compared to the 75 percent that Microsoft currently owns, but the speed of adoption (if Anmuth is correct) ought to give Microsoft pause.

But it's not just about market share, according to Gedrich, who sees Chrome as the harbinger of a new philosophical order.

"We look forward to the impending perception shift, where people will soon view their web applications not as places on an address bar, but as desktop applications that are no different than the current programs in their start menu," Gedrich says. "Through technologies like Chrome, our clients will not only improve the way they interact with a customer, but can also create a branded footprint on their desktops."

The shift in perception may take a few years to happen, but when it comes, Google should be in a better position than it was before news of Chrome captivated the industry.

"While the industry as a whole is still trying to figure out the details of this launch, it's clear that Google is taking a swipe at Microsoft's market share, and frankly Microsoft has no place to hide," says Mike Leo, CEO of Operative. "Chrome extends Google's already deep roots in the search market and the benefit of connecting both search and web analytics could potentially allow Google to provide marketers with further insight into user habits."

That could be a huge development for agencies, which are currently in the process of mending their relationships with Google now that the company is expanding way beyond its search roots. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported on Google's effort to reach out to agencies, many of which had looked upon the company with suspicious eyes. While Chrome won't ease tension between Google and the Madison Ave. crowd, it certainly will up the stakes for fostering an amicable relationship.

But Chrome won't likely be the data goldmine Leo suspects it could be, according to Matt Cutts, Google's SEO guru, who wrote on his blog that the new browser wouldn't send much information to Google.com.

Yet, the question of data and privacy may miss the larger point. Consider the assessment of Google co-founder Sergey Brin:

"A lot of things are difficult to do on the web. You will be able to do more and more online," Brin was quoted as saying, adding that Chrome will encourage independent developers to create applications that aren't bound by the web/desktop divide.

As for Microsoft, the company is downplaying Chrome.

"It is not the first or best browser for web applications," says Dean Hachamovitch, general manager for Internet Explorer at Microsoft. "It is the first from Google. I think that the functionality available in IE8, for what people do every day again and again, is better."

But when one considers Brin's analysis as compared to that offered by Hachamovitch, it's worth noting that Google -- viewed from the language of its executive team -- appears focused on what people will do. By contrast, Microsoft appears to be focusing on what people have done online and what they presently do on the web. That's not to say that Microsoft isn't forward thinking. Rather, it means that Google's Chrome is built for a new world (one that might or might not materialize), whereas IE is a browser built to add functionality to a world with which three-quarters of all web users are already quite familiar. 

All that being said, a showdown is certainly brewing, and Microsoft will soon have the opportunity to put its best foot forward when IE8 exits public beta later this year.

Michael Estrin is deputy editor at iMediaConnection.