Google Keeps Its Eye on the Prize

 

 

5. The market is changing in Google's favor

There is one place where Apple has failed to adequately see the future: the Web. So far, Steve Jobs and Company have focused heavily on hardware and the mobile industries. Given its success, it was the right move. But by doing so, Apple has lost sight of the next frontier in the tech industry. Google hasn't. The search giant is ready to invite more consumers and companies to the Internet. It not only has all the services ready to go, it also has Chrome OS, the operating system it needs to introduce folks to the cloud. Google's Trojan horse could be Apple's Achilles' heel.

6. Steve Jobs won't be at Apple forever

A quick glimpse at Apple's history reveals one important fact: Apple needs Steve Jobs. For the foreseeable future, Jobs will remain at Apple and lead his company. But a time will come when he needs to leave Apple. And when that happens, it might be the opening Google will need to take charge of the industry. It won't happen overnight, since Jobs is smart enough to have plans well into the future. But once his influence is gone, Google can step in and supplant Apple as the top tech company in the industry. Given Jobs' recent health issues, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that he leaves Apple sooner than some might think.

7. The right strategy is in place

Google has the right strategy in place to take over the tech industry from Apple. Not only has it cornered the search market-a key battleground going into the next decade-the company has also revealed itself as the go-to advertising firm on the Web. That alone should help it eventually surpass Apple. But it goes beyond that. Google is also positioning its Android OS as a fine mobile alternative to iPhone iOS. Plus, the company is branching out into other areas, such as building a fiber network, to expand its operation even further. Google isn't just a search company anymore.

8. Mac OS X is a big question mark

Mac OS X could be a problem for Apple going forward. Although the software is beloved among designers and those that want to get away from Windows, it still holds a small portion of the operating system market. And now that Google is preparing to release a Web-based operating system, it might only be a matter of time before Apple's lack of focus on Mac OS X catches up to it. That said, computers are still a key component in what Apple brings to the consumer's table. It just needs to realize that if it's not careful, Google will pass it by.

9. Android is a force

Android OS is arguably the biggest threat to Apple right now. A recent NPD report found that more consumers bought Android-based phones in the first quarter of 2010 than iPhones. Granted, Apple is only offering a single device, while Google's operating system is running on multiple phones. But it effectively highlights that Google is starting to gain traction in the single market where Apple has tied much of its future. If Google can continue to perform well, things could get worse for Apple. And it could eventually lose its standing as the top tech company to Google.

10. Touch isn't everything

Although Apple has made multitouch functionality a key component in its business plan, it's important for the company to know that, as Google has shown, touch isn't everything. To stay atop the tech industry over the next 10 years, Apple needs to branch out beyond iPhone iOS and find a way to stay ahead of the curve in more areas than the mobile sector. At the same time, it can't be everything to everyone. It should determine its core competencies, find out where it can make an impact and focus its efforts there. Let Google be the company that does it all.  If Apple focuses too much of its time on multitouch and not enough on other businesses, the company could be in for a rude awakening when Google supplants it as the top tech company in the industry and never looks back.