Google Vs. Microsoft - Clash of Technology

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Google Vs. Microsoft  

Clash of Technology

Titans

Case Study Solution By –

Amrendra Roy

Summary of the case study[pic 2]

• Google and Microsoft both are technological giants and each one of them is trying to encroach the business area of other.

• Google’s goal is to focus on cloud computing to provide web-based products and services to end user.

• Microsoft’s goal is to bring disruption in internet search, online advertising and other related business areas.

• Both of them has their strengths and weeknesses.

Question 1 Solution[pic 3]

• Question 1 ✏ Define and compare the business strategies and business models of Google and Microsoft.
• Answer ✏

• Strategy is means to ends. It is the way to achieve the goals and objectives while business model is the abstract overview of processes within the organization.

• Google’s strategy is to benefit from ubiquity of internet and provide value to customers via web-based product and services which will ultimately evolve using cloud computing.

• Microsoft’s strategy is to dethrone google from its position by bringing in disruption in search engine and online advertising space as well as to defend its desktop market from threat of Google’s strategy.

Question 1 Solution (Contd.)[pic 4]

•  Answer ✏

• Web search – Bing

Question 2 Solution[pic 5]

• Question 2 ✏ Has the internet taken over the PC desktop as the center of the action? Why or Why not?

• Answer ✏

• Can be almost said yes

• At least for commercial users compared to domestic users

• Internet is required everywhere

• Increasing ubiquity of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS solutions indicate internet has almost taken over the PC desktop

• Many software are now by default cloud based rather than being available offline and use subscription model

Question 3 Solution[pic 6]

• Question 3 ✏ Why did Microsoft attempt to acquire Yahoo? How does it affect its business model? Do you believe it was a good move?

• Answer ✏

• In order to “buy the expertise in web search and advertising” which it did not have.

• If successful it would have given boost to its search engine attempts at Bing and related advertising world.

• No!! It was not a good move because in order to become successful in web search market they needed long term planning as google would have been even after merger way ahead in value offerings and buying Yahoo might have created issues with synergy.

• Microsoft itself is a big player and could have handle the task of web search without Yahoo helping and this attempts were meeting with resistance anyways.

Question 4 Solution[pic 7]

• Question 4 ✏ What is the significance of Google Apps to Google’s future success?

• Answer ✏

• They provided alternatives for traditional office suites.

• Enabled people to work from anywhere freely or dirt cheap and unavailability of sophisticated online create and edit solutions made it popular.

• Microsoft came late to party but has been successful with corporates. (Office 360 suites)

• They signify and strengthen the goal of google i.e. to enable computing more and more via web-applications instead of performing locally and seemly integrate with its online storage options like Drive.

Question 5 Solution[pic 8]

• Question 5 ✏ Would you use Google Apps instead of Microsoft office applications for computing tasks? Why or Why not?

• Answer ✏

• In the past when there was no Office suite in picture and in situation where Office applications are not available ✏ YES

• But now-a-days office suites are also there and hence I will go according to value offerings which are most suitable to me.

• Each one of them have certain different features but it is more likely that when I need sleek usage I will go with Google apps and when I need something sophisticated I will go with Microsoft Office,

• Basically it is competition on level field now-a-days.

Question 6 Solution[pic 9]

• Question 6 ✏ Which company and business model do you believe will prevail in this epic struggle? Justify your answer.
• Answer ✏

• Indeed it is Google (Before 2014). Why?

• Because they are trying to predict future technology usage patterns and create solutions around it.

• While Microsoft on other hand is trying to be pursue customers to cling to its product offering which is typical behavior known as myopic behavior in Marketing terms.
• They should focus on changing technology and develop the solutions and offering around it.

• Actually Microsoft slowly started changing its Business Models back when it brought Windows 10 and now its focus is on cloud and app ecosystem so now the winner will be the one whose offerings are distinguished and better than competitor .