What's Next for Google?

Charles Ferguson draws parallels between Google and Microsoft's past rivals, predicting an edge for Microsoft ("What's Next for Google," January 2005). But Google is unlike any company Microsoft has witnessed in the past in how it identifies opportunities, innovates, operates, and pursues growth. Even if Microsoft is to develop superior search, it will find it impossible to get users to abandon their much-loved search engine. To survive Google, Microsoft has only one option: to out-innovate it. But Microsoft's past performance in innovation doesn't hold much promise of that happening. Innovation is something that simply cannot be bought. It has to be systemic -- which is why in this game, it's advantage, Google.

Manu Sharma
New Delhi, India