Google Takes on the World 2
Q 1.
How can Google leverage its products and services in the mobile device market?Google Incorporated started out a basic search engine firm providing users on the internet the platform to connect to information stored on the web servers, throughout the globe. It also dabbled in to advertising programs for all sizes of firms, raking in billions in revenues. So far, it is a success. That Google’s undisputed leader of search engine platforms is no longer in contention. It is a cold fact.
Google in its innovative nature has timely realized that the future of the industry doesn’t lie in writing native software to run on specific smart phones, rather it lies with the web-based applications that can be supported on the phones. Towards this end, Google is rolling out products and enhancing its services in the mobile device market (Kippenberger, 1998).The Android platform, though a collaborative effort proves that Google indeed is taking on the world. Already talk of Google rewriting the rules of the wireless Industry, with its Gphone product is permeating the cyberspace. As it strategically seeks to position itself on the world market of mobile devices, success in leveraging these products and services will determine whether it survives or not. The Industry is extremely high paced in innovation.
The ability to develop operating systems and end user programs and services that can effortlessly be integrated and inter-operationalised with other industry players’ applications and services would enable Google to create a unique and positive mobile Internet experience. Applying Porters model to Google in relation to this segment of the market, this is how it will happen? With a cutthroat, head to head competition with the established players, looming large, Google should evaluate the strength of its position in the market based on four forces of the Porter 5 force Model; threat of entry, threat of substitutes, Buyer power and Supplier power. Threat of entry is evaluated based on potentially new entrants into the market and the existing players. Already all the big names have a horse in this race, as a matter of fact, Google is the new kid on the block thus, its competitive edge should emerge from providing what the traditional players to do not cater to. Additional, Google should take advantage of the vast information it has collected over time from its competitors through provision of search engine services to their clients (Wheelen and Hunger, 1998). Harnessing of this information will enable Google to enhance its services and applications.
In this industry there is a real threat of substitutes. To beat substitutes from other players, Innovation, Innovation, Innovation is the game to up (Porter, 1980). Every player is working on improving their products and services. The only way to survive is to up the game. As argued earlier, creating compact systems that can integrate and interoperate with other applications and services from Microsoft, Apple and other players would definitely enhance its leverage. With its systems integrated and operated on every other wireless platform regardless of the manufacture, ensures that the all too important revenue keeps flowing in. In this industry, players need to be liquid at all times to fend off both detractors and competitors, whether technologically through innovations or legally through litigation (Wheelen and Hunger, 1998). It is a fact that the almost every other internet user has used Google’s search engine. Google needs to wrack its brains on how it can get all these people to buy and use it products and services.
Should it be able to pull this one off, then the buyer power of it products and services remains on an all time high (Sanderson, 1998). Indeed, this segment of the market has no more than five large players Apple and Microsoft included. Efforts must be concentrated on not losing even a fraction of its clients to the other players. To do this it has to cater to both the high end of the market and low end. Applications and services are to be tailored for these segments of clients in terms of affordability and superior internet experience.
Apple and Microsoft, without mentioning a host of other larger player in the market, should cause Google a migraine on the supplier power front. Though relatively high at present, the switching costs are definitely coming down in the near future. It becomes imperative on Google to hold on to its share of the market technologically at all costs. Better innovativeness translates to positive and possibly unique mobile Internet experience. In this industry the power of brand does not hold much weight.
All the players have a fair chance of influencing the market. Yahoo can attest to this. The market is only as appreciative as you are technologically better. In conclusion, it is imperative that web based applications are underscored as the future of Internet mobile wireless industry (Kippenberger, 1998). Whoever, succeeds is the player who has the ability to keep up with the fast paced industry with better technological innovations that cater to the specific needs of the users at affordable costs while providing quality services and integrated application on a variety of platforms.
