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Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) was born eleven years ago as more of an experiment, and exceeding anything founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin could have ever imagined. That company -- just over a decade old -- is now poised to challenge the world's largest software company -- Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) -- as the leading supplier of digital information flow for countless individuals and companies.That sounds pretty bleak, right? Truth be told, Microsoft is not going anywhere fast. The company's software for both the home and business PC market and corporate servers is found in every corner of the globe. The company takes in over $10 billion a quarter in revenue -- but Google is taking in a little less than half that per quarter just in search advertising. If Google continues its advance into the mobile space and into the operating system market, two of the most promising markets will start seeing Microsoft cede even more share to the internet search leader.
Google's brand dominates the world, and not just in tech circles. Have you googled anything lately (as in, last hour)? You probably have. The next ten years will see Google trample more and more into Microsoft's territory, and it will clearly be on the offensive as Microsoft defends itself. This is already happening, of course. While Microsoft wants a bite out of search revenue (Bing) and the opportunities that brings, Google wants a bite out of Microsoft's various markets to garner even more influence than it already has. What predictions do you have for 2020? Google or Microsoft?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2009 @ 5:35PM
Sophie said...
It's obvious: Microsoft is a conservative company, doing business conservatively and with tons of market research to back it up; everything product they release an improvement of an old idea, and in this economy, their conservatism is getting even more extreme - justifiably so, as they see it. Google however, is a bunch of ounger guys who are still passionate in their choices rather than conservative. Look at the risk involved in having photographers as well as satellites take photos of every corner of the globe! Many laughed at their silliness. Yet, passion fuels their decisions and in that regard, they predict almost psychicly what people get into. People who love technology and Google Earth make more money than the average. That was a niche market a decade ago, but not so much now. In other words, Microsoft invests in the masses, while Google invests in that too (they started with a search engine) AND niche markets. And then, they're smart enough to turn these niche markets into larger groups! I admire them. They're calculated AND intuitive. THAT is what makes a company take off and stay there these days.
10-02-2009 @ 8:21PM
scott.mcelwain said...
Google has a lock on search and makes a ton of money off of it. Their other endeavors are almost all relative failures. Google Earth may make some money, but everythng else they have gotten into are money pits, even if they are popular with some. You want a Blackberry, IPhone, or even Pre, or do you want Google's crappy phone? You want Microsoft Office or their laughable Docs? You always hear that they have the smartest people around. How come GMail isn't close to being the best web mail, and features like Calendar fit with it like OJ's glove.
They have a stronger brand than Yahoo had, but at the end of the day all they've got is search and it can be taken almost as quickly as they took it from Yahoo. Both Yahoo and Bing are already just as good in most ways, and better in some. Google is smart enough to see what this author doesn't--that search is not guaranteed and they need other avenues of growth. Problem is they have proven time and again that they can hardly do anything else very well.
I don't have any more respect for Microsoft either, by the way.