10 Big Questions About Googles Future Success

by Don Reisinger

Google’s Nexus One isn’t nearly the success the search giant thought it would be. The company’s experiment with selling the device online rather than in carrier stores proved to be an outright failure that recently caused the company to shift its retail strategy. Going forward, Google will likely continue to support the Nexus One and offer follow-ups. But it needs to develop a marketing strategy that appeals to customers. It also wouldn’t hurt if it offered software that more closely matched iPhone OS. But these are all suggestions. What Google really has planned for its smartphone is unknown.

Chrome OS is scheduled to hit store shelves later this year. And although it’s currently designed with netbooks in mind, there’s a strong possibility that the Web-based operating system will make an appearance on desktops and notebooks before too long. It’s also possible that it could make its way to a Google tablet. But before that happens, the netbook version must appeal to consumers. It might be a tough sell. Web-based operating systems aren’t known to the mainstream. And trying to coax people from Windows is extremely difficult. Just ask Apple.

If Chrome OS isn’t running on a Google tablet, it might only be a matter of time before the company announces Android-based tablets. For now, it seems like the safe bet, since Android is Google’s answer to iPhone OS in the smartphone market. But Google has been tight-lipped on its tablet plans. A nice, Google-branded tablet running Android sounds awfully appealing, though.

For years, Google and Apple were as close to allies as two competing companies could be. They shared a common enemy – Microsoft – that only strengthened their relationship. But over the past year, that relationship has eroded as Google and Apple have taken a more contentious stance with each other. It has gotten so bad that Google CEO Eric Schmidt was ousted from Apple’s board. Google’s recent moves suggest it’s gunning for Apple, but so far, the company hasn’t said anything publicly that would support such a claim. Will Google eventually admit that it views Apple as an enemy?

There’s little debating that Google Search is the world’s most capable search engine. But Microsoft’s Bing search engine is slowly gaining market share. For now, its market share isn’t anything to worry about, since Google still enjoys a commanding lead. But that might change. Microsoft is doing a better job of delivering viable online services. And as its success continues, it might only be a matter of time before it matches Google online. It should be interesting to see if Google can stop that rise.

It has become abundantly clear over the past year that Google is trying desperately to change the mobile industry. It wants to make it more advertising-centered and push open-source software. So far, its success has been tempered by Apple’s iPhone. But depending on how both Google and Apple implement their strategies over the next few years, Google’s impact on the shape of the mobile industry could swing widely up or down. Look for Google to do what it can to put its stamp on the mobile industry over the next few years.

Google has built an advertising machine that generates billions of dollars for the company each year. But as it solidifies its power online and starts moving its efforts to the mobile world, it might only be a matter of time before government regulators step in. That has happened a little so far, but the company has remained largely unscathed after dealing with those inquiries. Will that change as Google’s advertising market share grows? We will soon find out.

Although the company has ventured in several other areas, Google realizes that the greatest portion of its profits come from all its online endeavors. That’s precisely why the company might want to make cloud dominance a key component in its strategy going forward. It’s a smart move. The industry is moving away from desktop-based software and increasingly moving to the cloud. If Google can be there with open arms, it can keep Microsoft, arguably its biggest competitor, out of the way.

Google Search is enjoying unprecedented success online. But as Bing continues to grow, Microsoft leverages its partnership with Yahoo, and more users start venturing into unknown Web territories, Google Search could be affected. Of course, Google could also come up with new improvements that solidify its position as the dominant service in search, as well. At this point, there’s no way to know what the future will hold. But with more pressure than ever on Google Search, the company’s core service might not be so successful years from now.

There’s no debating that Google can’t stand Microsoft. And the feeling is mutual. But the search giant is currently spending almost all its energy on defeating Microsoft wherever it can. It’s challenging Microsoft in search, operating systems, browsers, advertising and many other areas. But when will Google’s obsession with Microsoft end? Based on its current strategy, Google might not be content until Microsoft has been removed from its position as the biggest and most successful company in the industry.