Is Google the next company we’ll love to hate?
Microsoft was the darling of the busines world for years and years, and then they became the company that everybody loved to hate.
Too successful, too aggressive, and too rich.
That’s a funny thing about success in America. We love the success story…until they become too successful. The business world, the public, and the court system just got fed up with the fact that Microsoft could seem to charge whatever they wanted even though the tech community was convinced that they had inferior products.
Of course, anyone familiar with the insides of the tech industry knows that Microsoft is under an all out attack right now and will have to fight tooth and nail to keep its position of strength in the marketplace. So much for having a monopoly.
Their #1 threat is Google, and it’s my prediction that Google will soon be the company that people love to hate.
Why?
Google is everywhere.
They have a complete stranglehold on online advertising, they are quickly becoming a major competitor in providing email and application hosting, they are making a major play in the cell phone business…they are even taking pictures of your house all day, every day!
Now, at first glance all of this is harmless – they are just providing services that people want. So why do I think Google is going to become the company that people love to hate?
Well, in addition to their monopoly on online search and advertising, which already has people and businesses getting very frustrated, they have one big factor going against them that Microsoft never had:
They know everything about you.
Microsoft just sold you software to run on your computer, but they never really had intimate knowledge of what you do every day.
Google, on the other hand, is literally tracking your every move. When you search online, they track it. When you click on a link, they track it. When they present you information in your browser, it’s the information they think you would want to see, not all of the information that’s available.
Again, all of this seems harmless right now, but I wonder for how long that will remain true. When will the public cry fowl and start using other search engines, cell phones, etc. to avoid Google’s watchful eye?
I’ve already heard murmurs of frustration, concern, and fear from several people. My guess is that this will accelerate over the next few years, and within 5 years be the factor that limits Google’s growth.
I just hope nobody from Google reads this! 
Mike Cooch
CEO
Everon Technology Services, LLC
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