Google has certainly grown from just a search engine company to a huge conglomerate in Internet-based services. The comparison of Google in the current era to Microsoft is quite appropriate. Google’s search engine has become the main one used by almost everyone. The article mentioned somewhere around seventy percent of all searches are done through Google. I think the only other search engine I use is Yahoo, if I happen to be on one of their sites already. Other services like Gmail have gained on top web-based emails sites such as yahoo and hotmail. Many people are still discovering the over 100 others products offered by Google, but Google seems to be on the cutting edge of online services. Their current popularity makes it easy for users to latch onto their others services without hesitation.
Google has bought into some markets, such as acquiring YouTube, and they have created many services in-house. The article talked about how many Google products have not is profitable, including YouTube. In the near future, I think Google will continue to create new ideas, products, and services. Over time though, they will come and go as Google will need to be a little more effective with the way they manage each division. As far as being a monopoly, I don’t quite think that is the case with Google. When Microsoft was nearly a monopoly, it was because most users did not have a choice. Combined with strategies such as including Internet Explorer with their Windows software, they helped to retain this monopoly. Google has done many things like Microsoft, including snatching up smaller businesses. However, if you compare Google to another top online company, eBay, then I don’t feel Google is as much of a monopoly. eBay has much more of a monopolistic hold on online auctions than Google does in their services. eBay has bought both auction hosting companies and online payment companies like PayPal. This is what has helped them corner the market along with a successful format. I feel that people use Google more out of choice than strictly being a monopoly. We are free to use any search engines, email, etc that we want. However Google just has some sort of attraction.
Chuck
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Chuck wrote a very insightful post about google. I completely agree when he says their current popularity makes it easy for users to latch onto their others services without hesitation. That comment is dead on because now that everyone goes to google as a search engine it enables the rest of us to quickly find what we want/ looking for.
ReplyDeleteI think you make a good point when you say that Google is not necessarily monopolizing the realm of search engines because people do have a choice. It's not like Google making forceful moves to make people use Google and only Google and its products like Microsoft.
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