One Small Voice

Google has released its Google Apps finally to the enterprise customers. The media world has suddenly started making hype of it as a competitor to Microsoft Office. But why the world is so much passionate about seeing the defeat of Microsoft? Who are really bothered about Microsoft’s supremacy? Why everybody writes viruses for Windows but not for other operating systems? Is it the customers? I don’t think so. Actually it’s the vendors who are really worried about Microsoft, not the customers. Customers wouldn’t bother whether the product they’re using is a technical innovative masterpiece or not as long is it is easy to use and pleasant to the eyes. The fact that nobody has been able to equal or come near Microsoft’s user interface and ease of usage has led to the frustration in the vendors mind. Microsoft’s success and its customer base have fed in the fear of getting wiped out from the industry for many vendors. These are the guys who promote the inferior products just because they hate Microsoft. Linux is a good product but it doesn’t deserve the publicity, support, and hype it got from the industry. It’s not because of their love for Linux, but for their hatred for Microsoft. They say Microsoft is not an inventor. How about Linux? Linux is a copy from its birth. It’s copied from Unix and later it’s road map follows Microsoft religiously. Whatever that comes up in Microsoft will come in Linux (of course with inferior quality) after 5-6 months. But still Linux gets so much support from the industry. I guess these same people might be sponsoring virus writers just to make Microsoft’s life miserable. Despite the continuous attacks from the industry, Microsoft is still surviving.

Microsoft didn’t go to the top by chance or by accident or by somebody’s grace. Its single minded focus about bringing desktops to everybody (Computer Engineers as well as common public) has brought Microsoft to the Numero Uno position in the industry. Like there are two eras in the computer hardware, Vacuum Tubes Era, and VLSI Era, there are two eras in software also. They’re, Pre-Microsoft Era and Post-Microsoft Era. Before Microsoft came into the industry, the usage of computer was limited to the computer engineers and experts. Using computer was so complex that only computer trained people could use it. The common public could never dream of using computer. Then Microsoft came in and it made computer usage less simple than using your personal radio or TV. People never thought that computer screens can be pleasing to the eye. That black console was the identity of computer. Microsoft came in with Windows, and the world had left with no option but to follow the leader. Whatever the industry people say, one thing is true. When Microsoft does some product, people start using it and rarely people require any training to use Microsoft products.

It might be possible that Google Apps may steal some of Microsoft Office’s market share as Google also has the same passion for creating user friendly and efficient software. I have used Google Document. It’s useful and good product but not a revolutionary product. It can be at most compared with the Wordpad rather than MS-Word. People will still use MS-Word and MS-Excel and then upload onto Google Apps to use its online collaboration features. Moreover no enterprise would be comfortable to put it's sensitive confidential data onto Google's servers. But if Google makes Google Apps an Intranet application rather than Internet application by setting up a server(cluster) in individual enterprise, then it might work out in Google's favor.