Google ? The All Powerful Microsoft Killer ? Tell us it ain’t true Bill. The revenue growth, the huge profits and great new products like Desktop Search have created a buzz like the Internet has not seen since Marc Andreesen stumbled upon Netscape.
Is Google really a threat to Microsoft? What products and services will Google release over the next 3 years? Will Microsoft, in the end, become the Google killer?
We’re seeing worried ramblings, albeit interesting ones, like this from a Microsoft connected blogger, “What if BillG called up the Google Boys and said, ‘Let’s work together.’ Eh-yeah, I don’t see that happening either. ?Right now we’re at a fork in the road as to how we’ll respond to Google, and one way is to team up with them for something productive that will benefit our users big-time.”
The Microsoft blogger noted that big MS has Google on its mind, “So right now, Google is rekindling the fires of wicked competition in Microsoft. Microsoft’s response to Google was the focus of questions and angst during the Microsoft Company Meeting.” Doesn’t it seem strange that Microsoft with its immense resources, experience and marketing power is this concerned about Google?
Google playing the Microsoft game.
Google is copying the Microsoft competition model and Bill Gates knows it. Probably most disconcerting to Bill is that Google is nicely positioning itself to eventually take over the desktop.
Step 1: Create a massive monopoly by building a superior product, which of course Google has done with Internet searching. Google has trounced its search competitors to the point that no one cares if they exist. Of course, Google also needed a business model ? and they luckily found one over at GoTo.com, now known as Overture and owned by rival Yahoo.
Step 2: Leverage the monopoly by launching products and services that compete with your competitors thus extending your power and reach.
Step 3: Repeat step 1 and make powerful monopolies centered on each of the new products and services. Of course, Google is just getting started with their new products like Gmail, but just wait ?
Google vs. Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL.
The in your face competitive nature of Google must be daunting to Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL and others who have or who are about to face competition from big G. Following the success of the original Google search engine they have launched; a major news portal (competes with Yahoo and MSN), a shopping portal (makes eBay nervous), internal book searching (scares Amazon ? because who knows if selling books is next), web mail (HotMail and YahooMail are frantic with the 1 gig storage issue), puchased Blogger (which has altered internet communication) and recently made available desktop search software (first direct hit at MS Windows).
They may be about to launch IM (will hurt AOL and Microsoft) and a web browser (remember Netscape Mr. Gates). They have even purchased the domain gbrowser.com!
Of course Microsoft is in this fight for the long haul, “MSN is making significant investments in search, and we will ship the product when we are confident it will meet the needs of our customers,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. The company plans to release betas of the new algorithmic search engine and desktop search in the U.S. by the end of 2004.”
However, tech expert Steve Gillmor pegs Google with the advantage, “Microsoft’s strategic errors with Internet Explorer and Outlook have created an opening big enough for a well-funded tank like Google to rumble through”.
What’s next for Google?
So what’s next for Google beyond all of this? There is speculation that Google will develop a streamlined OS that will hit Microsoft where it hurts ? Windows. Others expect Google to go after Microsoft Word and their other major business applications. If they can succeed then the Google dream may be worth as much or more than the Microsoft reality.
If you haven’t tried Google Desktop Search you should? it really sums up this story. It makes you wonder why deep pocket Microsoft couldn’t make a desktop search tool that works in seconds and feels just like Google’s web search ? fast, efficient and just about perfect.