2006: Microsoft vs. Google
It seems that the year ahead of us will be important for both Google and Microsoft. Microsoft is not to happy about Google and this year could be the Armageddon we (or at least I) have been waiting for.
I read an excellent column, yesterday, that I found on the net. Fred Vogelstein from Fortune.com described how Microsoft, or more precisely Bill Gates, dislikes Google.
In short, he describes how Bill Gates really didn’t think that Google would do so well. He gave them two years, and those years have long passed.
Google not only expanded into software (free software mind you), but has also seamlessly provided software with operating systems (e.g. Google Desktop).
This has been a problem for Microsoft. As of March of 2005 about 100 Microsoft employees have left for Google. And it seems that Microsoft has had problems dealing with this foe.
In years past Netscape had been an obstacle when it offered a web browser for $40 bucks. Microsoft solved that by building its own browser and had it packaged with Windows at no extra charge.
That ended that obstacle, but Google is much tougher. It grows and expands at lightning speed. One example is how it beat Microsoft by two months when it developed a desktop search utility.
Bill Gates was not happy, after all Microsoft is THE software king and it got beat by a smaller company.
Microsoft even spent millions on building its own search engine and yet the MSN search engine, has to be argued, is a distant third (Google, Yahoo!, MSN).
Well the battle has gone on for 7 years now and it seems like things could reach a peak.
I predict that 2006 will be a big year for Google. It is no longer a small company, but now has started to grow exponentially.
Microsoft has taken notice and needs to do something fast. With Google brewing up Google Base, Microsoft needs to something strategic.
The release of Windows Live, I believe, is Microsoft’s way of trying to catch up with Google in the online software category. After all after looking at this page I get the impression that Microsoft will move a lot of new software online.
Microsoft is now developing software such as: Windows Live Safety Centre, Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live Search Mobile (Google has done this), Windows Live Local (already done by Google).
So, who’s gonna win? I don’t know the answer to that, but I know that if Google keeps doing what it’s doing it is going to be hard for Microsoft to catch up.
No company can compete with Microsoft. No search engine can touch Google.
Google crossed the software line and Microsoft doesn’t like it, but after 7 years of Microsoft trying to do something the Google giant is alive and well.
This year might be the year in which Google can grow and really stun Microsoft further or Microsoft might just come out with something we haven’t even heard of yet to shock Google.
Either way. The battle is coming. The giants will fight. The dust will settle. And one will come out winner.
Jonathan Lukas
December 24th, 2005 at 11:38 pm
I never had a problem with anything MS came out with. What I had a problem with was that it was buggy, you needed endless patches, and in some cases tended to be much more than you needed, in many ways. I have yet to see MS get their act together in regards to this huge flaw, and until they realize that, companies like Google will be wiping the floor with them.
December 25th, 2005 at 10:25 am
Hi Jonathan:
I agree with you that sometime in 2006 Google will clash head to head will Microsoft and we, will benefit. It would be interesting to watch how events evolve. Microsoft is sitting on top an enormous pile of greenbacks and can practically do anything it wants to crush Google. They have done it before and successfully.
On the other hand, Microsoft is loosing creativity and mobility. Because it is such a large corporation, it carries a big weight–a big dead weight. There are continuous struggles between departments and divisions biting at each other in an effort to obtain the favor of Steve Ballmer. This hurts innovation. This internal hostile environment is causing too many top employees leaving Microsoft’s camp and joining Google bandwagon. The last notorious case, was the oriental engineer who left Microsoft to join Google and caused a big legal upheaval. I understand they decided to settle out of court.
As you have correctly stated, Google is riding the crest of the wave. They have a clear picture of who they are and where they want to go. They want to control the Internet, and so far, they have been quite good at it. The latest financial transaction of purchasing 5% of AOL’s stake, permits them to keep that large marketing ad cash cow. Microsoft is now leaking its wounds in the background.
Certainly, year 2006 will give us a great contest of will and power between these two heavyweights.
Happy Holidays,
Omar.-
December 25th, 2005 at 12:37 pm
I agree with you Omar. It’s going to be really fun to watch.
Jonathan Lukas
June 8th, 2006 at 9:17 am
[…] Well, Gazotto predicted that 2006 would be a big year in the war between Google and Microsoft . Google announced that it will be launching an online spreadsheet (think Microsoft Excel). However, unlike Excel it won’t have any advanced features such as macros. As E-Commerce Times stated, Google’s recent activity is leading many to believe that Google is willing to compete with Microsoft on the desktop level. […]