Google’s Cyber Cafe Strategy With Chrome: All Out War Against Microsoft?

At times the public perception of Google’s strategy for Chrome feels like they are “releasing a balloon to the wind”, in other words, they put it out there, let if float and see where it goes.

Neeraj Saxena in the InfoTech section of “India Times” tells of a different and more calculated strategy described by Sundar Pichai, Google’s vice-president for product development and in charge of Chrome development.

India Times printed the following about Google’s strategy with Chrome:

“Google will now go all out in a war against Microsoft’s Internet Explorer by sewing up distribution agreements for its browser Chrome beta with cyber cafe owners in countries like India to take on Microsoft’s OEM bundling strength”.

Note: This statement was attributed to Sundar Pichai, but didn’t show it as a direct quote.

I added the “Note” above because while the strategy of sewing up distributions agreements by Google is a smart move, the term “all out in a war against Microsoft” isn’t phrasing you’d normally see attributed directly to a Google spokesperson.

Sundar was however quoted in this description of Google’s strategy:

“While it is true that many Internet users stick to the bundled browsers, we will be banking upon alternative distribution strategy. The fact that Chrome is really light at 7MB download, is clutter-free and loads up websites very fast is an advantage that Google would be banking upon”.

Alternative distribution strategies for the browser that is. Of course having an alternative browser also gives alternative distribution for ads too.

It continues to be true that Google has more in mind than most people realize.

Neeraj’s full article in the InfoTech section of the India Times is here.

Google’s Chrome: A Different Flavor of World Domination

Google’s Chrome is bringing all sorts of issues out into the open, beyond is it just a replacement browser. 

During a conversation with friends, I was struck once again by the dissimilar similarities of how Google and Microsoft are approaching their missions to dominate the world.

See what you think about the different taste of each flavor these strategies/tactics of “world domination”.

Strategy 1: Release before it’s done

           Microsoft:  Calls it 1.0 and charges for it.

           Google:  Calls it “beta” and gives it away.

 

Strategy 2: Has an alternative source of revenues it can use to fund efforts to

beat the competition

            Microsoft: Revenues from its OS develops apps used to crush competition

            Google: Revenues from ads creates “free software” which kills competition

 

Strategy 3: Announces future plans to “prepare the market”

            Microsoft: Announces specs of new standards and vaporware, effectively freezing the market while they wait for MS to finish.

            Google: Releases early software for free, effectively freezing the market while everyone figures out what to do.

 

Strategy 4: Release an “operating environment” to sit on top of the operating system

           Microsoft: Windows 1.0

           Google: Chrome

 

Strategy 5: Dominate the worldwide market

           Microsoft: See antitrust lawsuits for their approach to this.

           Google: Free value to general population, but “Oops that clause about ‘we will own your stuff’ in the Chrome EULA was a typo…”

 

While both are going for world domination, as a consumer, Google’s flavor of world domination just tastes better and maybe that’s the key to their success.