Google's Ten Biggest Enemies in 2010 (Part I)

Google has been innovating in the Internet market for the last decade. With over 150 products and potentially more products coming this year, Google is, no doubt, accelerating its growth both domestically and internationally.  If you want to predict future trend in the cyber space, just watch Google, and I bet you will get the hint.  Since Google has a wide range of product categories, it inevitably faces many competitions accordingly in the marketplace.  There are 10 major enemies for Google in 2010.  Let’s start with the first 5.

 

1. Apple

Apple has made a name for itself in the marketplace for its ability to innovate.  Apple is currently competing with Google head to head in the following areas: smart phones, operating systems, mobile ads, and online music.  Meanwhile, Apple’s Safari is a direct threat for Google Chrome browser. In 2010, it’s predicted that the markets in digital music and smart phones will be growing exponentially. When it comes to music search, Google has been partnering with MySpace and Pandora, which makes Google a strong competitor for Apple’s iTunes. Furthermore, expect to see a smart phone war triggered by Google’s new Android phone.   The iPhone will not give up that easily.

2. Microsoft

The role Microsoft plays in the IT industry is paramount and indispensable.  Microsoft will be competing with Google in the following areas: search, Internet collaboration tools, and Internet browsers. It’s known that Microsoft has invested a fortune in its new search engine, Bing.  Bing is now gradually gaining more market share.  What makes Bing even more powerful if the fact that Microsoft has partnered up with Twitter, Facebook, and Yahoo.  To fight back, Google introduced real search feature last year.  Other than search, Google and Microsoft will mainly be competing for their cloud computing services.  For lots of enterprises, Google Docs tools have already replaced the Office Suite as their work collaboration tools.

3. Amazon

In 2009, Google was scanning thousands of books online.  Moreover, Google Book Search provides 500,000 free online digital books for users of Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Amazon’s Kindle is the king among all eBook readers nowadays.  But Kindle’s got some tough competitions this year given Google’s strategic partnerships with both Sony and B & N.  Recently, Google also rolled out Google Editions, Google’s eBook Store, competing directly with Amazon.

4. Facebook

Facebook is leading the trend of social media worldwide.  It’s attracting 350 millions active users. A tremendous portion of Facebook’s current users also utilizes Google’s search engine. The intense competition between Facebook and Google narrows down to one word: future. Where would Internet users seek for information in the future? Through search engine or via social networking sites?  In 2010, Google’s Orkut will be competing with Facebook.  Orkut is the provider of the Google Friend Connect service.  On the other hand, Facebook has the Facebook Connect service.  In general, Google and Facebook, the two Internet giants, will be competing mostly in the social networking sphere.

5. Twitter

If you still remember, Google tried to buy Twitter in 2009. But now, Twitter becomes the biggest competitor for Google when it comes to real time search.  Both Google and Twitter have very nice real search features. It would be interesting to see how future unfolds itself in this regard.

In the next article, we will cover the last 5 major competitors Google faces in 2010.  If you are not a WebStudio13 subscriber, please take a minute to subscribe to our RSS feeds (via email) so you won’t miss the next one.

Update: You can now read the 2nd part of the article here.

This article is inspired by an iResearch.cn report