10 Things Apple and Microsoft Haven’t Learned About Google

10 Things Apple and Microsoft Haven’t Learned About Googleby Don Reisinger

When it comes to Google, all its plans revolve around search. In some way or another, it integrates search into its many services to ensure people keep coming back to Google. That doesn’t necessarily affect Apple. But until Microsoft realizes the importance of Bing to its greater success, it might have some trouble dealing with Google.

Apple is currently in the process of suing HTC for what it says are patent violations within the company’s many Android-based devices. Ironically, at no point was Google cited in the suit. If Apple is successful, it might believe that Google will revise its Android software to accommodate the ruling. Don’t plan on it, Apple. Google has been dealing with lawsuits for years. They have rarely caused it to shift strategy.

As important as search is to Google, advertising is the reason it engages in so many different markets. A quick glance at all of its services, from Google Search to Gmail to Android, reveals that Google really only cares about generating advertising revenue. Perhaps that’s why the company has followed an affordable business strategy, offering many of its services for free. It’s tough to compete with free. And Microsoft and Apple need to realize that.

Apple might be the supreme leader in the mobile phone market, but just how much longer that will last is up for debate. Some on Apple’s side say the iPhone will top the market for the foreseeable future. Those who believe in Google’s strategy say Android could eventually eclipse the iPhone in overall market share. At this point, Apple doesn’t seem too worried about that. But it should be. Google isn’t playing for second place.

Microsoft should be deeply concerned by Chrome OS. The Web-based operating system will provide users with a unique experience that they just haven’t seen so far. Microsoft contends that Windows 7 will be able to compete with Chrome OS on netbooks. It’s also quick to point out that it will be delivering a Web-based operating system of its own. But whether or not it will be able to compete with Chrome OS is anyone’s guess. Microsoft needs to worry about Chrome OS. It could change everything in the operating-system market.

Over the past few months, only Google’s Chrome browser has enjoyed growth in the browser market. Both Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox have lost some share. And now that the European Union has forced Microsoft to offer other browsers besides Internet Explorer on all Windows PCs, the chances of Chrome gaining substantial share in a short amount of time is much greater. It’s not clear if Microsoft appreciates how damaging Chrome can really be to its bottom line.

Google might be best known as a Web-based company, but the company is quickly moving into several different markets. Both Microsoft and Apple should be worried. Consider the fact that Google now operates in the mobile market, will soon offer an operating system and is planning to deploy a 1G bps Fiber network, and it quickly becomes clear that the company wants to work its way into any space it can. Going forward, Google could be a major thorn in the sides of Steve Jobs and Steve Ballmer.

Make no mistake about Google, if the company needs to acquire competitors to increase market share and improve its products, it will. So far this year, it has acquired a mobile e-mail search firm, called ReMail. It has also acquired Picnik to help improve its photo-editing offerings. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Apple have mostly kept their cash in the bank, evidently waiting for a rainy day. They need to start acquiring more companies before all the good ones are owned by Google.

Google can’t stand Microsoft. The company has made it abundantly clear throughout the past decade that it has its sights set firmly on Redmond. Google has dominated Search, taken on Hotmail, made Windows Mobile obsolete and cornered the Web advertising market. All the while, the Web company is diminishing Microsoft’s influence in the industry.

Remember when Google CEO Eric Schmidt was on the board at Apple? It was a nice relationship, wasn’t it? Now that he’s gone, Jobs is looking at Google as a major competitor in the mobile market. And although Safari isn’t a major player in browsers, Chrome is still a competitor there. For years, Google has pretended that it wouldn’t target Apple and that its only foe was Microsoft. That’s no longer true. And it’s about time Apple realizes it.