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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Open Letter to Google


Letter to Google

Perhaps the success of your company has gone to your head, but if you seriously want to challenge MS Office in the Cloud (365), you need to grow up and get your act together and bring Google Apps (Sheets, Docs etc) to an acceptable, usable standard.
Of course the problem that you have is that these cloud apps are free, so you think that you don't have to take normal business considerations into account. I think of you (and Facebook to an extent) still as 'schoolboy start-ups', intoxicated with your good fortunes ... and, yes, they are indeed fortunes.
Microsoft, through your original cloud apps, saw the potential and have now overtaken you. However, they are a 'grown-up' company and use a business model that is quite simple: set the whole thing up commercially, employ people to do what needs to be done to make the product 'fit for purpose' and then charge for it. That is the mature way to proceed. 'Everything free' can only work if you have defined revenue streams that latch onto site hits.
So, either make these Google Apps work through advertising or set them up on a commercial basis and charge. Either way, get to grips with your market and compete by presenting a product that 'stands up' and people want to use.
..... Andre Francis
PS. Oh, yes. I use Google Apps, but am now reaching a stage, particularly with Sheets, where the functions simply are not good enough in a business environment ... I seem to be always 'making do'. I am currently taking sideways glances at Satan's Office 365. I really wouldn't mind paying for something that gets the job done.

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