Why Google is the Next Big Thing

Why is Google the next big thing?
Because Google has the three U's that will make it the number one software company in the world.

The first U stands for Understanding.

Google understands the future.

Billions of people today use Google software through their PC's or PDA's,
but Google understands this is only the very beginning. In the future, the number of devices that are connected to the internet will grow in such a way today's numbers will be negligible. It has already started with internet on cell phones, and it will continue with internet connections in your car, in your TV, in your radio, and even in your fridge. Think about it, you switch the channel on TV a lot more often then you search for something on the web. Can you imagine those little Google Ads appearing under the show details on cable TV? I sure can.
So if you think Google is already "the big thing", think again.

Google also understands that information is everything.

Google's mission is to organize the world's information.
Google understands that you can easily take out the word "information" and say the exact same thing: their mission is to organize the world.
What is the information Google talks about?
The answer to that question is somewhat similar to the answer to "what is the matrix" - information is all around you. You can see it when you look out the window, when you turn on your TV, when you pay your taxes.
Today Google organizes your web content, your e-mail, and even your calendar. In the future they can organize your taxes, your cable TV, and even your fridge.

Okay, understanding what the world is all about and what it will be like in the future is important, but that's an understanding a lot of us share, and by itself it's clearly not enough to become the next big thing.

The second U stands for Unification.

Google works hard to unify its services, a task it probably learned (and learned well) from its sworn enemy nowadays, Microsoft.
This unification means that everything you can do with Google services is connected to every other thing you can do with other Google services. It means that if I want to search my e-mail, it's as easy as searching the web with Google. It means that if I want to set a meeting with my friend all I have to do is e-mail him using my Gmail account and add a little note in my Google calendar. It means that if I want to chat with my friend online before sending the e-mail, I don't have to use a different software. It means that if I need to find some detail he mentioned during that chat I can search my mailbox the same way I search any other e-mail.

It eventually means that it is going to be easier for a user to use Google software instead of using lots of different services that don't fit together as nicely.

Unification is one of the major principles that got Microsoft to where it is today.
It is easier for the user to use Word, Excel, and Windows Media Player, simply because he is using Windows, and they go so well together - and it will probably take Google just as far.

The last U stands for Usability.

Google has a unique approach to usability.
Back in the 90's, Microsoft used to be the kings of usability.
Their software was simply the easiest to use, and that is the number one reason everybody uses Microsoft Windows today. When we migrated from Oracle database to Microsoft SQL Server, it was such a relief! It was amazing to see how much easier it was to work with Microsoft products. There are other consideration of course for working (or not working) with Microsoft products, such as reliability or efficiency
- but that's a different discussion.
The point is, Microsoft products were always so simple to work with, and for the average user, that's enough. And guess what - it turns out there are a lot more average users than linux geeks out there...


So why can't Microsoft keep up with Google?
Because usability is not what it used to be.
Usability today doesn't only mean that it's easy to use the product.
Usability for me is that I have 2.7 GB of storage in my Gmail account, instead of 2 MB in my previous hotmail account. It means that 99% of the junk mail I recieve is going automatically into my junk mail folder, instead of only about 50% in my previous hotmail account. It means that it's easier for me to type only the first few letters and not the full address of my reciepent. It means that it's easier for me to quickly type "Status meeting next wednesday 9:00" in Google calendar than it is to search for the right time in my outlook.

That is why today Google products are much more usable than Microsoft products (or any other company), and that is why I believe they will win the fight over the internet.


Google is doing what every other internet software company is doing (or at least trying to do).
Simply put, they are doing it better.