Microsoft Vs. Google: Who Will Lead the Next IT Wave?

Google has made millions of lives happy. Specially, the management graduates, who finds it so simpler "to google" all their project reports and assignments and get them ready in one-tenth of the required time. Also, the Internet community in general, who find Google as a great help for all their Internet search problems. But is everybody happy with Google? Major players in the computing eco-system would like to differ, since it has raised fear in the mind of veterans in the industry and aroused their curiosity. It has also threatened the survival of few companies.
Google has not limited itself to search-engine, but it has become a gateway to the Internet and has taken steps to develop desktop applications, such as Google Toolbar, Google Desktop, Gmail and much famous Google Earth. Its Initial Public Offering (IPO) at NASDAQ has shown investors confidence in the company. Its IPO was a huge success and its stock has risen ever since. Google's strength lies in its people. It gives free rein to talented people to innovate. Some of the smartest graduates coming out of the top computer science programs are joining Google.
But why the behemoth from Redmond, who ruled this industry for almost two decade, has taken a special notice? Why Microsoft is worried and Bill Gates is privately rebuking Google? It is no longer a fight for the Internet Search Engine market between Microsoft's MSN and Google Search. The ground has been set for the bigger battle, may be one of the most interesting of the recent times. This battle is all about control over the platform for the next generation of software application development. Google's existing and potential products are raising serious doubts for the erosion of Microsoft's control on the platform.
What Microsoft built in last two decades, Google wants to end it now. It wants to strategically decrease people's reliance on Microsoft's platform. It would not be easy for Google but it would also not be impossible for it. It is the battle, which is going to be worth watching.

Microsoft was fortunate enough to realize the importance of operating systems in the computing industry two decades back. It realized that personal computers would be completely controlled by the operating system installed in it. It was something that IBM could not realize and committed the biggest mistake in its history.
In 1980s, companies believed that operating system is pure commodity product, but Microsoft understood that it holds the keys to its monopoly.
It's because of the dominance of the Windows Operating System that Microsoft has been able to become so strong. The dominance of Windows means that for development of any major software application, it needs to be compatible with Windows. This means software developers must use the programming capabilities provided by Windows - its application programming interface, or API. That's a most suitable example of perfect monopoly.
As Internet has changed things drastically, it seems that the core platform will move to higher level - most probably - a web-based platform that runs in the browser and is written in the language of the browser rather than the language of the operating system.

Operating System - A Commodity Product?
As newer and newer applications are developed, which will mainly be web-based, it becomes immaterial which operating system user deploys. They will work equally well on Windows, Mac or Linux. The operating system will loose its importance in this whole process and Microsoft will loose its strategic competitive advantage. It will be a further threat to Microsoft's business model.

Microsoft is in such a powerful position because the PC operating system is at the center of most users' experiences with computers. As the Internet becomes more of an essential part of the computing experience, if anything else from a network becomes a central link in the user's experience, that poses a challenge to Windows and software programs like Office, which has higher profit margins than Windows itself. Google does not prevent people from using any particular operating system on a PC, but if the functionality that users engage with is driven through a Google experience rather than something controlled by Microsoft, that harms Microsoft.
Microsoft Vs. Google
As Google expands its base, it might harm Microsoft. But Microsoft has a much broader product line. It's sitting on 90% of all computers around the world and Google has a long way to catch up. It may be very difficult for Google to fight with Microsoft at all the fronts and it would be a vague assumption to believe that Google will win in all the territories.
But if we see this in a broader perspective, any successful Internet and software company is a threat to Microsoft. Microsoft is in a uniquely dominant position in the industry. Anything that attracts a significant amount of use or activity is potentially a threat to them. Microsoft is a threat to, in some ways; virtually everyone in the industry and likewise everyone is a threat to Microsoft.
It is not the first time some new innovative company like Google has challenged the Microsoft dominance. In 1990s, Netscape tried to give Microsoft run for its money in the historical 'brower war', in which Microsoft emerged as a clear winner.
Google is a different kind of competitor, but Microsoft has dealt with a pretty wide range of competitors before. So, it is on a higher learning curve. Microsoft has always been a good competitor, it will figure out ways to replicate the features of competitors' products. The products won't necessarily be better, but they will be adequate.

Challenges
The big challenge for Microsoft is its behemoth size. It's harder and harder for the company, as it gets bigger, to keep growing as it historically did. The computer industry is a mature industry. In the developed world, virtually everyone has a computer. So Microsoft, to continue growing, needs to find new ways to expand its market, which is why they want to get into games, wireless and business-software markets. In these areas, they're generating substantial losses.
To the extent that Google becomes a dominant player in the Internet market, it blocks an opportunity for Microsoft to expand.
But Microsoft did not achieve the position it enjoys today by rolling over in the face of adversity. Microsoft sees a future revenue stream in web-advertising and desktop search functions and in better knowing the consumer. So they are organizing their own formidable brainpower to attack the competition. And there are plenty of people who like Microsoft and its products just fine.

The Road Ahead
Microsoft may have to change its philosophy if it truly wishes to compete with Google. It gives major emphasis on its core competencies - operating system and desktop application businesses, which leaves some gaps to be filled. Companies like Google are successfully filling those gaps with their innovative offerings and thus giving serious threat to the business of Microsoft.
Will Microsoft or Google finally wins the race - we may have to wait one more decade to get the answer.
 

kartik

Kartik Raichura
Staff member
Hmm.. Although the stats show that google inc is getting better and better and the media loves to pamper this young new prince, Microsoft cannot be underestimated.

The new promises made by Bill Gates about the Voice and video recognition softwares and their claims to come up with a search engine that will "PAY YOU" to search on that engine.. are a class apart and one of its kind.

But as you know... only time will tell... If only Google comes up with PC's with a GooG operating system, Microsoft is sure to face the music .
 

ViJiT

Vijith Pujari
kartik said:
But as you know... only time will tell... If only Google comes up with PC's with a GooG operating system, Microsoft is sure to face the music .


yea ....But i will still vote for Linux
 

bhavin_3

Par 100 posts (V.I.P)
I see google as the winner in the next 10 yrs. The way google has eaten up the market share in the search engine criteria from yahoo and microsoft is simply fantastic. Infact now it has tie up wit major browsers which come with a google package in it.. So people do not need to enter any other search criteria. Even the gmail of google is workin great. So we can say whichever market google is entering it is creating its own position and if google comes up with an OS of itself man dan microsoft is in trouble.. But even though if it doesnt come up it will surely such a market wer it creates itself as the no 1 player.. If u see as of now i belive google is giving a lot of emphasis on blogging
 

vengabeats

Par 100 posts (V.I.P)
bhavin_3 said:
I see google as the winner in the next 10 yrs. The way google has eaten up the market share in the search engine criteria from yahoo and microsoft is simply fantastic. Infact now it has tie up wit major browsers which come with a google package in it.. So people do not need to enter any other search criteria. Even the gmail of google is workin great. So we can say whichever market google is entering it is creating its own position and if google comes up with an OS of itself man dan microsoft is in trouble.. But even though if it doesnt come up it will surely such a market wer it creates itself as the no 1 player.. If u see as of now i belive google is giving a lot of emphasis on blogging

Yes i agree with u Bhavin, Hotmail is also in Great trouble with Gmail going bigger n bigger by providing nearly 2 gb space n if the Operating system of Google came then the microsoft also will be in huge trouble
 

vengabeats

Par 100 posts (V.I.P)
These are the pictures by which the microsoft will be facing problems
 

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kartik

Kartik Raichura
Staff member
Wow.. Is it really the Google OS ?? It is a beta release or is it jus a skin on Micro OS ??

Love the pictures man.. tell me more :D
 

bhavin_3

Par 100 posts (V.I.P)
Lolz user frndly. I don believe it has released out yet.. Hw can u say it aint user frndly without using It..!!! Lolz Google makin a hacker frndly OS :yield: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
 

ViJiT

Vijith Pujari
vengabeats said:
I dont think so that Linux is user-friendly still many computer users dont know how to use Linux


i m nt talkin abt Common ppl man.......i am talkin abouts experts who think Windows S##ks...............like me , i use Linux...for surfin......
 

bhavin_3

Par 100 posts (V.I.P)
Lolz i believe this is da title "Microsoft Vs. Google: Who Will Lead the Next IT Wave" Linux is good OS no doubt but its not ruling the masses while Microsoft is today. So the question lies Who Will Lead the Next IT Wave??? Google Or Microsoft
 
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