Is Google in panic or just faking it?
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Executive chairman of Google Eric Emerson Schmidt acknowledged that company’s leadership in Internet search is under question these days. Mr. Schmidt claims Bing search system, social networks and Apple to be serious rivals for the company. Especially his concerns refer to Apple with its break-through personal assistant application – Siri.
Google has never doubted its own hegemony before. Besides all the so-called rivals are instrumental only in some particular sphere, while Google services cover all the users demands. Some experts consider Mr. Schmidt is not very sincere making such statements. He has found a sleek crafty way to avoid monopoly sanctions by downplaying company’s role on the search market. Though every coin has another side, Mr. Schmidt is known for his tendency for self-criticism: not so long ago top-manager publically acknowledged that Google should have entered the social networks market much earlier. Maybe, there are some reasons for Google to worry indeed.
One quite competent internet magazine from Russia has carried out its own investigation on the matter.
Siri
As for the Siri, it is a bit strange to call application for iOS based on natural language processing the rival of the search giant, taking in to account that the search function is secondary for Siri. It is simply a system that controls local applications for iPhone 4S with voice commands. Surely, the search functions of the system are rather promising: Siri reacts to the whole sentences and seem to get the very context of the massage, for e.g. it recommends the near-by rehab to the question about places where one may buy drugs. Moreover using Google and Bing technologies in search, Siri gives results in its own interface and without annoying advertising. But Siri is new to this world & vice versa, so it will take some time for it to become as great as Google. Besides, Siri may compete with Google, which actively develops the voice-based search itself, only in question-answering sphere.
C3 Technologies
Another problem according to Mr. Schmidt is C3 Technologies. Obviously, for all these years Google have been on top in internet cartography: the coverage, services like Street View and Google Earth, mobile apps – what possibly can match all this? But if we believe to Mr. Schmidt, things are not so bright for the search giant. In late October Apple bought Swedish Company C3 Technologies, which core activity is creating 3D earth maps and technology competencies are higher than the ones in Google. C3 Technologies shoots under a particular angle from the air using 4 cameras directed to the four sides of the world; and some additional cameras (the exact number is unknown). After that the special program developed by C3 Technologies combine all the material into 3D model, which shows not only buildings, but such tiny details as trees as well. Before this Apple bought two more companies specializing in cartography — Placebase and Poly9. Seems Apple plans to take over cartography sphere indeed.
Vdio
One more company Google or, to be more exact, its product Youtube should be scared of is Vdio. On the whole there are many companies that try to compete with Youtube, but Vdio stands out from the majority. Its launch is now being prepared by the founders of Skype Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström. The Vdio will boast brand-new video content filtration instruments. Moreover integration with Skype is highly possible, which may bring mind-blowing opportunities like video-chats, video-hosting, video stream, on-line TV – and all this via one access point.
Zoosh
Google with its service Wallet is a pioneer and potential leader on the market of wireless NFC-payments. Although, the start-up Naratte may change situation drastically with their new technology — Zoosh. The difference between these technologies is that NFC uses radio chips and Zoosh uses ultrasound, i.e. any devices with build-in microphone and dynamic are suitable for the latter. There is no particular difference for user: in any case they have to keep the device close to payment terminal for a little while for data exchange. But Zoosh developers assure everyone that their technology will cost $30, while NFC costs $100-850.
Facebook Messages
Gmail earned the reputation of the most progressive mail service of last 10 years. But it may be replaced by Facebook’s new service – Messages, which unites e-mail, private massages and SMS. Facebook is not to kill Google in this sphere yet, but Mark Zuckerberg is quite determined to do it in the future.
To sum this all up, on the one hand the new gentry with mind-blowing solutions in particular spheres were Google works is coming, but on the other hand they all have loads to do to catch up with the search giant and there is no one with a complex of solutions in at least a couple of spheres dominated by Google.