In a recent article in The New York Times, Google appears to be getting ready to rumble with Microsoft. The future of the computing world rests in the different philosophies of these two companies. Google believes that 90% of computing will reside in a Web-based cloud on remote servers in faraway data centers, accessible over the Web by an array of wired and wireless devices. Microsoft sees a Web future as well, but one whose center of gravity remains firmly tethered to its desktop PC software. The article does a great job of creating a battle between these two companies who don't even acknowledge that they are at war. Then why did Google release Google Docs? According to Mr. Schmidt, the C.E.O. at Google,
“For most people, computers are complex and unreliable, given to crashing and afflicted with viruses. If Google can deliver computing services over the Web, then it will be a real improvement in people’s lives."
Microsoft does not even care about the release of Google Docs as 500 million PCs run Office. So, why the pretend battle?
Well, these two companies have massive amounts of resources that will guide the future of the computing industry. Whether they wish to acknowledge it or not, they are in direct competition with each other. Their philosophies about the future of computing are different, and there is where the battle will start. I look forward to seeing the innovations that Microsoft and Google both come up with. When two companies like this are competing against each other, the customer has much to gain.