Apple made the news recently by hitting 1.5 billion downloads at it’s app store. Quick to catch on, Google at the recent MobileBeat 2009 Conference said that App stores weren’t really the future. Sour grapes? Not quite. Google has long since focused on the importance of the web. From promoting Android to its latest venture, Chrome OS, Google seems to quite believe in what it preaches. Let’s look at the way things have changed when it comes to working on the Internet, from actually being content-receivers to users being content-generators, the way people work on the Internet is changing. More so, with changing technology, from Wireless to 3G, access to the internet is no longer restricted to a phone line. No wonder that people estimate almost all of the Internet will soon be access via mobile.
We recently wrote about Cloud Computing. Not needing a huge hard-drive, or inbuilt software seems to go with the concept of Mobile Internet. Mobiles don’t really have the same computing power that a PC does-yet. Hence, a light Operating System with less features is useful. Why have applications when everything you need is online? Microsoft Office Live might be an attempt to lure people away from Google Docs, but the result of that? Working on the Internet, how? A browser. Exactly what Google wants.
Google is also introducing Google Wave – something we covered a while back. The implication – online collaboration. Let’s tie up the pieces. Cloud computing allows us to not expend valuable resources by keeping it online. Your mobile allows you to access that data and work on-the-go. Your 3G/4G networks will allow you high-speed access to your data, your software online from your mobile. So everything’s on the Internet. And the browser is your access point. I believe that soon, the Computer will merely become a portal to access the Internet. The advantage? All your work is no longer confined to your office or your home.
And that plays beautifully into Google’s hands. An article I read on the Internet (forgive me, I don’t remember source – GigaOM has something similar though not exactly) explains that Chrome OS is not an attempt to dethrone Microsoft. The folk at Redmond obviously understand what a Browser/OS is, see Gazelle. But Google plans to make Chrome OS open-source.
The reason: Every minute you’re not on the internet, Google is losing potential ad revenue. Almost every website uses Google Ads. If you’re online, you’re searching, browsing, visiting sites, all of that directly translates into moolah for Google. A recent news report tells us that Google earns around $10 million a day from its ads.
Google’s core marketing/monetisation plan remains the same – Ads. Their ventures into the OS territory is merely them delivering their product to you in a better fashion. Ads drive the Internet. And the browser is the key.
Implications for India? Not much.
We had recently written about how India’s choices are quite global when it comes to websites etc. But technology is a whole new playing field. While the West dreams of 4G, India is YET to auction it’s 3G. Rural Broadband is a long-term dream, as is Universal Wi-Fi. Another major problem is Internet Security. The recent hack on Twitter and the Techcrunch document fiasco (Twittergate?) has brought out serious questions the safety of cloud computing. Once everything goes cloud, security cannot be compromised at any cost. India’s cyber laws are yet not seriously formed, and nor are our security systems.
So in developing markets, Microsoft clearly wins. Because Google will not venture offline. And in countries like India, the lack of an inexpensive, fast, reliable Internet connection will prove to be the Bane of the Browser.
Too much of bold content
Yes, I suppose so. I was hoping to point out the major aspects of the article. If one glances over the bold parts, it provides a neat summary. So if someone was glancing through the page, they’d get the essence of it quickly. Possibly overdid it a little – unsure.