I don't think it has anything to do with an engineering response. The issue is in defining the problem where as engineering is about applying knowledge to a pr

I don't think it has anything to do with an engineering response. The issue is in defining the problem where as engineering is about applying knowledge to a problem. The theory I'm putting forth is that Google tends to see things in the abstract. "The world needs a web based office package" vs "Company X has 100,000 employees and they want this feature". The later response is how a traditional software company like Microsoft thinks. So for Google solving the problem of medical records for the world means going to people they perceive as deep thinkers (like researchers) and devising a system in a vacuum. Where as Microsoft would go to the line-staff level and design up. (and for the record I'm not necessarily condemning either strategy. In fact I think the best possible scenario is to have two companies with those philosophies competing with each other)