Google Case Study

Case Study –

Google

Prepared by:

Student Name

Human Resource Management

BUSI 517

Date

Problem Statement

“Welcome to Microsoft’s nightmare. People don’t buy applications like Microsoft Office; Google rents them browser-based alternatives on an as-needed basis. All their personal files are stored online in Google’s vast network of broadband-connected data warehouses instead of on the user’s personal computer. Microsoft-now slow and bloated as the companies it vanquished back in the 20th century—watches in horror as the nimble newcomer becomes a predatory monopolist, using its market dominance to drive competitors like Microsoft out of business. At this point Gates, drenched in cold sweat, yanks the pillow off his face and gasps for air. Is this possible? Could Google actually reduce Microsoft to irrelevance in today’s computing world?” (Lewis, 2005).

As a company that was initially considered a small internet upstart, Google has managed to surprise everyone and presents itself as an adversary to Microsoft’s software dominance. In the spring of 2003, Bill Gates told one of his executives, “These Google guys want to be billionaires and rock stars and go to conferences and all that. Let’s see if they still want to run the business in two or three years,” (Vogelstein, 2005). Two of these years have passed, and so far, they surely do.

This paper is of course an examination of Google as a viable growing and threatening business. However, the analysis is unique in that it assumes a perspective that is threatening the core business of Microsoft. Therefore, much of the analysis and recommendations focus on actions that Microsoft, or more specifically, Bill Gates might need to consider as Google continues to grow.

History/Background

Google is a relatively new organization that was born out of a research project of Sergey Brin and Lawrence Page, who were at the time graduate...