Be honest now, how many times have you seen an ad for a Google product – magazine, newspaper, web banner – any and all media accepted?? Okay, 10 years ago there were the ads for the Google Search appliance, a server box loaded up with Google search goodies that could be plugged into your network.But really, the sort of thing shown below:
This ad is not only a rare bird, but what makes it even more unique – it directly takes on Microsoft. And Redmond where it is weakest – the costs of Microsoft Assurance plans for Windows, Office, and Exchange that represent one of the major 80-20 costs factors [80%++ of organizational IT budgets are spent maintaining existing systems while only 20% are available for new initiatives and deployments]for medium to big corporations.
Having been a longtime Open Office [free], Gmail [free], Notepad++ [free], and Perfect Utilities [free] user I have often wondered why corporate shops stick with the 70 cents spread. And the usual response is ease of deployment, ongoing maintenance utilities, and end users training and knowledge of the existing software. But Office 2007 and 2010 plus Exchange Server 2010 represent major interface changes both for the end user and IT maintenance crew. Hence the opportunity for Google.
Google also has the lure of SaaS-Software as a Service web delivery which all the IT press is offering up as the model for controlling 80-20 costs. But Google is taking on the mean Microsoft Marketing machine which has bested the likes of HP, IBM, and any/all comers in these cost+feature comparison ads. Stay tuned for more on the marketing front lines.
This viewer suspects that a broader direct assault on Microsoft will be upcoming. This clash is inevitable as Android, Chrome, Google Apps, and a broad range of Google Web services like search, mapping and translate among others often have direct Microsoft competitors. The big Microsoft giveaway is the worst reputation among Web developers for a badly lagging browser and highly proprietary or badly lacking Web software. How long IE and Redmond’s Web software can continue to lag is an open question.