Google’s Next Target: Unified Communications
So, Google’s next target is unified communications which should come as no surprise to its competitors or customers. With the kind of resources and name recognition Google has in the computer industry it should really be no stretch to think they would get into what has up to this point been the purview of such companies as Microsoft and Cisco. And, those companies are talking it seriously. Since Google launched Google Wave and Google Voice, companies already involved in unified communications have taken notice and are positioning themselves for a possible battle.
While most companies that deal in the genre are more commercially based, Google’s next target is aimed more towards the personal user. But business will get their share of Google’s new products too, as the company believes that business is as interested in the social networking craze as a means of marketing and is fertile territory for Google. The competition is recognizing this fact and certainly is a bit flustered about it. Google can pretty much do what they want in the area of unified communications because it is still a pretty limited market with not a lot of competition.
This new business segment means Google’s next target market will change drastically in the next few years. Google Wave and Google Voice are going to give consumers a new opportunity to get all they have ever wanted in unified communications capability, most likely at a cheaper rate. That is not making the current providers very happy but it is certainly making potential customers optimistic. This threat to current unified communications providers means good news for companies and individuals who have been waiting to combine their communications resources into a unified communications network and with a name like Google, there will be a lot of interest.
As stated before, Google’s next target sector of unified communication really shouldn’t surprise anyone. It has been a long time since Google revolutionized the search engine business and internet marketing and like all companies who reach a certain point of maturity in their business cycles, change is not just a word, it is a necessity. Google is hedging all their bets and making sure that they stay not just a viable business but a household name for many generations to come. Google has become as ubiquitous to computing as Kleenex has to paper tissue and its intent is to remain so for a while.
