On Tuesday Google announced that it is going to launch its own version of an Operating System (OS). What a news!! a troubling one for Microsoft (MS) though. Google's OS will be called 'Google Chrome Operating System' and is going to be an open source version, available for download online. Yes, like other open source softwares it can be modified by engineers.
Google is already giving MS run for its money on the search business that Google dominates today. With this product, Google is kicking up its offensive against Microsoft by yet another notch. And its personal now. Chrome OS is a jab right at the heart of Microsoft's business and should be a major concern to them.
MS, no doubt has pretty much dominated the OS market by providing it as a default on all PCs. It is estimated that MS has nearly 90% of the OS market share. Even though with the initial OS launch Google seeks to target NetBooks (for now), there is no doubt that the next logical step is to go after the PC market. NetBooks running the Chrome OS will go on sale next year.
'Fight to the death' as it seems, has been ensuing for sometime. Ever since Google's search engine started gaining market share and Microsoft's share of searches dropped. As a counter attack MS entered the search space, rather late, but with significant and consistent investment in its own product Live Search. This fight continued, with Google launching its own version of the office suite, an online application than can be easily downloaded and with which files (docs, spreadsheets etc..) can be created and shared online. Then came the talk about Windows 7 being launched. Its supposed to be great for Netbooks and is much faster than other MS OS's. More recently came the 'Bing'. Microsoft's own improved version of their old Live search. Since its launch Bing has taken some of the market share from Google, most likely within the Microsoft loyalists and some who want to try it out. Yes there are still many MS loyalists- everyone is not for Google, yet! And now the Chrome OS by Google. A fight that does not seem to end.
Though the Chrome OS is a direct challenge to MS business, it is going to be an uphill battle for Google. An equally deep pocketed MS is going to do everything from reduced prices to lucrative corporate offers, to possibly a much better OS than ever before, to stop customer migration. I think to sustain its lead MS has to very aggressively push Windows 7. It will have to undoubtedly use very aggressive advertising campaigns to promote Windows 7 and its applications and Bing alike. I think MS should heavily focus on offline and online ad. channels with specific focus on Social media, which I am positive must be buzzing with conversations/ reviews and criticisms, as a way to reach a much more active customers base. I am confident that appropriate mining of social space will yield crucial information for both brands.
Chrome OS may not be an eminent threat for MS. It will take Google sometime to establish this product within the mainstream market, which has been, for decades, dominated by MS. Hence, while Google continues to improve its product, which undoubtedly is going to be a long road to a 'perfect' product (the only way they will be able to sway all those legacy MS OS customers), MS has little bit of a breathing room. But not enough for MS to relax. Chrome OS is a major threat. Essentially, to survive in the long run, MS will have to go guns blazing in its once unchallenged territory. I personally do not see an end in sight and it is very very early to say who will be the winner. But regardless of the outcome, which is in our hands as customers, we are undoubtedly going to see a fantastic clash of the titans.
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