Google and Microsoft - the two biggest software companies of the world need no introduction for sure.
One, who uses a computer, uses Microsoft products for sure and one who comes on web cannot stay away from Google products for sure.
Microsoft and Google have entered in to each other’s field and hence an outbreak of war between the two giants.
Microsoft entered in to search, Google’s basic and legendry product and its main bread and butter. Microsoft is all set to give tough fight to Google in this segment. The second most used search engine after Google is Yahoo. Microsoft had tied up deals with Yahoo to bring a better search engine for end users, and hence a straight attack on Google. Google today stands for a generic term for search. Most of us suggest our mates, “Google it out”, means ‘search it out’. Google’s vast portfolio and more products adding in longer terms may dilute this term.
Microsoft also entered in Online advertising which is Google’s area of dominance. Google Adsense is known for providing relevant and effective ads. It has one of the biggest market share. Google Adsense offers quite detailed information of site traffic and ad hits and has high earning potential for its publishers and advertisers.
Google also entered in to Microsoft’s core product, Microsoft office with its product named Google Docs, though this was not head to head combat as Google created its niche by providing online document services but it can be used as an alternate for Microsoft office services for those who have good internet services after all Google is free.
Microsoft responded aggressively to Google by giving online facilities the very kind which Google offers for free and also it has integrated online document storage in office 2010. With office 2010 Microsoft has taken its office applications to cloud computing to answer Google.
Google entered in to Internet Browsing with its browser called Google Chrome, which became an instant hit after launch and is known for its speed. Google Chrome 5 is one of the fastest and stable editions. Internet Explorer a Microsoft internet browser which has its dominance by having highest share is facing competition with this new competitor apart from its earlier one Mozilla Firefox. Google chrome was developed under an open source project (Chromium) backed by Sun Microsystems and other open source programmers and organizations.
Google’s new project Google chrome Operating system is yet another war field between the two.
Chrome OS claims to be the fastest OS (boot time expected to be in between 7 to 10 seconds). But it is web-based as Google has its dominance on Web. In chrome OS every application will open in Google chrome web-browser. Google had applied logic that in today’s world we hardly use anything apart of web. We sit in office initiate outlook and web; and rarely access stored data. Moreover chromium OS will provide online storage facility to its users. It will have Google docs as its default Document viewer.
It is expected it will take one more year for Google to launch Chrome OS. Off course this operating system will be absolutely free to its users may it be business (most likely) or personal. Hence direct attack on Microsoft OS, which are available after paying license fees.
Both Google and Microsoft are now head on head collisions over mobile OS.
Android (A Google product) is one of the fastest growing mobile browser ranked 3 currently and is expected to reach at 2nd position at the end of year 2010 or at beginning of year 2011. Microsoft is at top currently with its windows 7 mobile edition. But taking quarterly results, first quarter of 2010 shows Android has added more customers to its portfolio than windows mobile. The other major players include Apple and Nokia.
Android is an open source project and has fast portfolio of applications (more than 20,000 and many added daily) where as Microsoft windows 7 has no applications currently. But windows phone have good gaming platform though. More details are mentioned below.
The Future: It’s difficult to see who will win this battle but there are many people who have opinion that both Microsoft and Google will continue to have good hold on their basic products while eating up some portion of each other’s bread and butter in other segments.
Like Google to domain search market and Microsoft in Operating systems and office applications.
Google’s fan club believes Google will lead the way in every segment especially in mobile OS.
But as said by Gautam Buddha – “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”.
One who will make a sound edge on present will win the future.
Recommendations For Microsoft:
Microsoft is known for leveraging over its good old products (OS, Office). Leveraging is always good but i still think its lagging a bit in new innovations when compared to Google.
IE: Microsoft still does not provide direct online support for its IE (upto best of my info), it should add update tag as its in Google Chrome, When you click on about Google Chrome it checks for update.
Also it should make clear it passes acid test (http://acid3.acidtests.org/) as Google chrome does with 100/100. Mozilla at 94 and IE somewhere between 40 to 60. (all details are of latest available final versions (no beta versions) of browsers). IE 9 the upcoming Microsoft internet explorer have passed 95 tests in acid test out of 100 and CSS3 selectors test 578 out of 578 tests. Which in IE 6 was at 272 out of 574. Google Chrome and Mozilla firefox already have passed this test with full marks.
Windows Mobile: Microsoft needs to provide application support for Windows phone.. If possible can open up some part of its OS for open source development community (If feasible).
Computing OS: Microsoft is best on this part with windows 7 in picture, but keep innovating and watch out free-wares and Google chromium.
Bing: Focus on brand building, focus on customer retention and give something unique which Google does not offers. It's said to beat Google in search, one has to redefine the word 'search'.
>> Invest in Social corporate responsibility and Green missions like planting and recycling. This has positive effect on customers view about the corporate organization to a greater extent.
Recommendations to Google:
1. Leverage from existing projects. - Search. and keep investing and innovating.
2. Good going with Android, make sure it beats Microsoft, nokia and others for sure; and have a clear leadership. A win in Mobile OS may open up a win chance in computing OS.
3. Consumers have high expectation from Google OS, make sure to meet it.
4. Try to launch offline Google Docs, to combat Microsoft Office.
5. Make sure Google is Green..! Invest in Social corporate responsibility and making a better living environment.
Best Wishes to both Google and Microsoft.
Best Regards,
Navneet Singh Chauhan.
References: Comparison between android and windows mobile adapted from http://www.redmondpie.com/android-vs-windows-phone-7-series-9140453/
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