NEWS ANALYSIS: Google CEO Larry Page has learned many lessons in his first year as the search giant’s chief executive. But it hasn't been a mistake-free year, and hopefully he won't repeat those mistakes in his second year.
Google
CEO Larry Page has been in his position for a year now. As the head of the
company hes founded, hes watched the firm generate billions of dollars in
revenue, build up its cash reserves and put intense competitive pressure on
countless competitors. From a financial perspective, its hard to see any way
that Page and his management team have done a less-than-stellar job or how they
might do better. Certainly most investors might agree that the chances are that
Google will only continue to grow and prosper in future years.
But as with any other executive, Page needs to look back at his last year
and evaluate how he handled certain issues. More importantly, he should analyze
the market dynamics that prompted him to make certain decisions throughout the
year. Simply put, Larry Page can learn a bunch of lessons from his first year
as Google CEO, and if he commits them to memory, hell be far more likely to
succeed.
Read on to find out what sort of lessons Larry Page should consider from his
first year as Google CEO.
1. Patents are a continuing concern
If nothing else,
Page should have learned in the past year that patents are a huge concern.
From Apple to Oracle to Motorola, just about every company is engaged in a
patent lawsuit somewhere around the world. Page and his company have to be well-prepared
to fight legal attacksespecially the one from Oracleand keep building up
Googles patent portfolio to fend off new lawsuits.
2. Regulators arent friendly to Google
The European Unions Competition Commission is currently determining whether
to launch a formal antitrust investigation into Googles search practices. The
company has also been hit hard by regulators in the U.S. At this point, Page
should have learned from his first year that regulators just arent friendly to
the search giant.
3. Social networking is a tough nut to crack
During Pages first year as CEO, he watched his companys social network,
Google+, grow. However, he also watched Facebook and Twitter continue to
dominate the space. Unfortunately for Page, social networking is a tough nut to
crack. At least right now, his company isnt anywhere close to posing a serious
challenge to the social networking leaders.
4. Tablets arent smartphones
Although
Android has soared to a strong position in the smartphone market, the
tablet space is a different story altogether. Apples iPad is the dominant
force in the tablet market right now, and so far, none of Googles third-party
vendors has been able to change that. Page should try to find a way to address
his companys tablet issues this year.
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