4 ms·

We've seen a lot of articles talking about big dangers to Google lately. It's an interesting topic but I'm skeptical there's anything there. Because Google has

by Steko 12y ago

We've seen a lot of articles talking about big dangers to Google lately. It's an interesting topic but I'm skeptical there's anything there. Because Google has got so many things going on everywhere, it's easy to find and latch onto missteps that fit with your preconceived notions of why Google is in big trouble. In the meantime, big picture they are still the best search in quality, market share and revenue in 200 countries and continue to out-innovate the competition. The primary threat to their existence over the first decade, MS/IE, has been vanquished and Android is the future global OS and Chrome is the best in breed browser. Despite the constant privacy chatter, Gmail is still the #1 platform a decade after launch and they are again out-innovating everyone else in the email space. China is of course a problem for Google but that's a decision they are comfortable with for now.

kshatrea 12y ago
What you're describing, except search, are all "moats"[1]. They're all ways in which Google monetizes and generates revenue. Any threat to their bottomline has to come from people getting access to information in other ways: native mobile applications, Facebook's walled garden, television etc. To their credit, they saw the mobile juggernaut coming early unlike Microsoft and they dealt with it effectively, ditto for browsers and email. They did not deal with social that effectively. In each case, it was their ability to foresee an information flow paradigm and get on top of it. The argument here that can be made is that they're no longer that force that can monetize new information flow paradigms and that FB, Amazon, Apple are eating their lunch in some ways and whether they can make money without new sources of income (their new bets have not paid off yet). Whether this argument against them is stupid or thoughtful, the fact remains that this is a point that has been raised - not how good their products are, but how much money they can make, which is something a for-profit business must consider. [1] http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/25/search-googles-castle-moat/ http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/25/search-googles-castle-moat/
- fidotron 12y ago
  Facebook did to Google what Google did to Microsoft, which is to tangentially hit the old guard hard enough that their ability to move into new areas is severely hampered. (Facebook have been quite good at buying up anyone that might do this to them, but it's not clear how long that approach will last). No one is going to displace Google in search for a long time, but a lot of that moat is going to end up being eroded.
guardian5x 12y ago
Google has only one thing going on that gives a lot of profit, ads. So if Google gets a problem selling ads they would be in trouble. It doesn't matter how good gmail is, and i also don't think that MS/IE has been vanquished yet, the condemned live longer.

by Steko 12y ago

kshatrea 12y ago

What you're describing, except search, are all "moats"[1]. They're all ways in which Google monetizes and generates revenue. Any threat to their bottomline has to come from people getting access to information in other ways: native mobile applications, Facebook's walled garden, television etc. To their credit, they saw the mobile juggernaut coming early unlike Microsoft and they dealt with it effectively, ditto for browsers and email. They did not deal with social that effectively. In each case, it was their ability to foresee an information flow paradigm and get on top of it. The argument here that can be made is that they're no longer that force that can monetize new information flow paradigms and that FB, Amazon, Apple are eating their lunch in some ways and whether they can make money without new sources of income (their new bets have not paid off yet). Whether this argument against them is stupid or thoughtful, the fact remains that this is a point that has been raised - not how good their products are, but how much money they can make, which is something a for-profit business must consider. [1] http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/25/search-googles-castle-moat/ http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/25/search-googles-castle-moat/

fidotron 12y ago
Facebook did to Google what Google did to Microsoft, which is to tangentially hit the old guard hard enough that their ability to move into new areas is severely hampered. (Facebook have been quite good at buying up anyone that might do this to them, but it's not clear how long that approach will last). No one is going to displace Google in search for a long time, but a lot of that moat is going to end up being eroded.

guardian5x 12y ago

Google has only one thing going on that gives a lot of profit, ads. So if Google gets a problem selling ads they would be in trouble. It doesn't matter how good gmail is, and i also don't think that MS/IE has been vanquished yet, the condemned live longer.