Have you really stopped to think why all the fuse about Microsoft launching Bing? The obvious answer is competition for Google, but there is far more at stake than that. To gain perspective we must all first understand the following.
- Microsoft has had dominant market share for operating systems.
- Google has dominate market share in search.
This what the corporate world calls “core competencies.” Google announced plans for an operating system within a month of Bings launch. Some folks were wondering why announce something so far in advance. I believe the announcement was for Microsoft’s benefit, not yours and mine. Google is telling Microsoft they too can target a competitors main revenues. It could be a bluff, but I don’t think so. Google has been public about it’s preference to cloud computing for years now. This is the most likely reason that Microsoft is trying so desperately to gain search share. They hope Google will change its plan. If Google gains respectable market share of home computing OS, cloud computing will be only steps behind.
Why is cloud computing so important to Google? Data control for marketing purposes drive their desire. Imagine you’re writing a “Dear John” letter to your husband and moments after you save your document there are ads or links for marital counselors, divorce lawyer or moving services. Our data on their server make it possible to index everything we do. I heard a report on XM Monday night during which the commentator quoted a Google executive as saying his dream was for Google as a search engine to be like God; knowing what we need or want before we do.
I keep seeing John Conner fighting the machines after they took over the world. There are people who are fearful that Google can actually take over the world. I don’t know about that, but I do know that stage is set for a serious throw down and the whole world has front row seats.
