Google That

Isn't it amazing to think that Google has become a household word? I mean 10 years ago if you told someone to go "google it," they would think you were crazy. I found that our last case on Google has been the most interesting and the most relevant to us as a class. Undergrads and Grads alike all use Google in their daily lives, making it the first case this semester that is clearly applicable to us and large organizations alike. Here are some of the main things I got out of the case:

- Google became successful initially due to their PageRank algorithm, but what has allowed them to sustain/grow their success is their company culture of commitment to innovation through technology and the upper management's control of business moves

- Google is committed to "Not being evil" something I found very funny, but also is important to ensure people trust their tools (practically only achievable by large prominent companies)

- Google's tools are not only growing out of their core search functionality but also growing into tools that are "useful" to people in leveraging all that the internet has to offer

- Regarding Google's future, they must be able to tap into the portal domain of Yahoo! and the software domain of Microsoft. BUT Google will only truly be able to achieve this by attacking each from a new angle using their innovation techniques as leverage and by gaining support of the Open Source community

- Google also needs to enter the global enterprise market by addressing the security needs that are not met by their free products as well as addressing cultural differences preventing Google from becoming popular

The interesting thing about Google is that because they revolutionized the internet and search relevance, everyone is looking to them to see what they will come up with next. BUT, Google has to tread very lightly. They have the trust of the public now, but this is the same way Microsoft started. Google must continue their innovation without becoming a dominatory bully. If Google can successfully sustain their innovation and creative persona, they will be able to sustain their growth and hopefully continue to revolutionize the internet in order or users to leverage the knowledge available to them. Such an interesting topic for students to be able to personally witness....anyone download Google Chrome yet?