What’s Next for Google? by Charles H. Ferguson founder of Vermeer(company that created “Front Page” now “MS Front Page”). A very very good reading. Ferguson portrays a possible war, for the control of search industry, between google and microsoft. This should be wakeup call for google and others. I’m not a fan of google either. Google is single largest beneficiary of free/open software (I think all of the google machines run GNU/Linux), yet google has not made any “visible” contribution to free/open software. Even if google wins the war, there is no guaranty(guarantee) that google will not be another microsoft in making.

How much money does google make from selling proprietary software? Pittance compared to their revenue from advertising. There is no point for google in selling proprietary software. Do what you best. Google is services company and be a best services company. Google should concentrate on making better search technology rather than selling software. Instead it should leverage its strength for creating free software, which is complimentary to its business.

Back to Ferguson’s article, I particularly liked the lines where he puts my thoughts about microsoft in nice words:

“And like a rock star who yearns to be admired for his brains, Gates wants to create new technology. Only by doing so can he overcome his reputation as the college dropout who built his empire by turning other people’s ideas into mediocre products.”

I used to say

"Microsoft
   Imitates innovation
   Innovates imitation"