will Google follow the Same as Destiny of IBM’s?

For as long as some can remember, Google has been the search engine of choice for almost everyone who searched the Internet. Since its inception, Google has almost toppled other big search engines such as Excite and Yahoo and these companies have struggled to regain market share. At the moment, Google still dominates the industry and it appears that it will continue to forever. But will it maintain its competitive advantage or is it possible that other search engines can break its monopoly in ways that the Department of Justice cannot imagine?

In the 1980s IBM dominated the industry to the point that many considered it a monopoly. It was believed that IBM’s legacy would last forever. However, when smaller companies entered the market with lower-margin products, IBM was forced to compete on their terms. Of course, we all know that the company failed miserably at this attempt, and the company was forced to completely revamp its business and give up its monopoly in the personal computer industry.

Despite the glamour that Google has been basking in for the last few years, we would be naïve to believe that this control over the market will endure for eternity. Like IBM and AT&T, Google will probably find the day when it is dethroned by smaller companies with their own particular niche. One search engine makes it possible to enter a photograph of a product that visitors would like to purchase, and the search engine tells the user which stores in their area are selling the product. Another search engine functions by having the user type in a question, and provide links to experts who can answer it.

While many experts feel that these smaller search engines do not pose a threat, both history and the present suggest otherwise. Many of these specialized search engines have multiplied their traffic in periods as short as a year. While it is uncertain how these companies will affect Google, there is no denying that they are on the rise. Even Google may inevitably find it impossible to provide all the features that are provided by each of the smaller, more specialized search engines. How will these companies affect Google in the future? It is very likely that they will pose a significant threat to the current leader, and very possible that Google’s survival will depend on its ability to adapt to the new environment and completely change its business structure just as IBM had to do ten years ago. Only time will tell.

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