A (Very) Small Sampling of Google Products
Ben Thompson
INFO331 Google Case Study

A (Very) Small Sampling of Google Products To say that Google is a large business is a gross understatement. The word “Google” has become synonymous with online searches, even though there are other search engines that exist. The search engine may be the most popular and well known aspect of the Google brand, yet the company is involved in so many different business endeavors ranging from self-driving vehicles to online analytics. A significant portion of research conducted at Google is geared towards products and services other than the well-known search and advertising functions. Google has released a tablet to rival the iPad and Google Maps has become the unofficial industry standard (Null 2010). Google is also at the forefront of green energy and has been making significant strides and investments in this area.
A Self Driving Car? For years people have envisioned self-driving vehicles. One of the most obvious benefits of this kind of technology would be safer roads. This could be one of the reasons that earlier in 2013 the Transportation Department decided to get behind the idea of developing this technology (Greiling Keane 2013). Regulators see the benefits of having this technology on the road because of the very real problem of traffic fatalities. In 2012 there were 34,000 deaths on U.S. roads alone. One of the features of this technology is that vehicles will be able to communicate with each other to significantly reduce traffic crashes. , Google is creating a technology that can be retrofitted to the vehicles (Greiling Keane), unlike auto companies, such as General Motors, that are trying to develop vehicles with this technology already built in. The selling point here is that any vehicle can become automated instead of having to purchase a brand new vehicle. The idea behind this is that most people would be unlikely, unwilling or unable to purchase a vehicle that comes with the technology built in. Three states (Florida, California and Nevada) have already passed laws allowing this auto pilot technology. The major roadblock that the technology is facing is the fact that there are so many unanswered questions. Regulators want to know how the technology works and what the limitations are before allowing it to become widespread. Nobody is questioning the benefits of the technology, only how safe it will actually be. Regulators believe that the technology can significantly increase the efficiency of the roads by helping reduce traffic jams and other problems. They are eager to see how the technology can help reduce human error and make roads safer. Another added benefit that comes with the automatic driving capabilities is that the vehicles know the roadways and shortcuts. Since the vehicles are automatic, they also follow the rules of the road better than humans do. Ashlee Vance wrote an article talking about seeing self-driving cars around her neighborhood and she states that these vehicles actually make human drivers worse (Vance 2013). She states that other drivers are so intrigued by these vehicles that they stare and gawk rather than paying attention to the roads. She concedes that this is a small price to pay for the progress that is on the horizon, and it can be speculated that this interest will die down once the technology becomes widespread and is no longer a new phenomenon.
The self-driving vehicle is a reality now and it is highly unlikely that the idea will disappear. The benefits are too great for the technology to be discarded. Regulators realize the potential for the massive upswing in traffic safety and consumers are both intrigued by the idea and many already know how it would benefit them. There are just too many ways that this technology will benefit people. There is more testing to be done, but with three states already allowing these vehicles on the road, it will not be long before self-driving vehicles are a common occurrence for everyone to see.
From Cars to Maps: Google Maps
Most people own some variation of a GPS. It might be on a stand-alone device or a cell phone, and there are those that refuse to give up their paper maps. The fact of the matter is that everyone uses one form of mapping device or another to figure out where they are going or where something is. One of the first internet mapping sites that people started using was MapQuest. Google took things a step further when they introduced Google Maps. Once again with this technology, Google did things a little differently than anybody else had ever thought.
MapQuest was one of the first online mapping sites that provides driving directions and aerial images. MapQuest was originally launched in 1996 and basically set the original standard for online maps and directions. Technically MapQuest is still the most popular interface still on the web with roughly 40 million users per month (Null 2010). Google Maps was originally released in 2005 and quickly became a popular competitor to MapQuest. Initially the idea behind both sites was to create an easy to use interface that would allow people to input destination and location addresses and the site would calculate the optimal routes. While many people now take this technology for granted, this was fairly revolutionary when each site first came out.
Map Quest launched a few years earlier than Google Maps so Google had a bit of ground to make up. One of the first hurdles that Google Maps tackled was the ease of use. One of the chief complaints about MapQuest was that the design was (and is) somewhat complicated to use. Originally the map that was generated on MapQuest took up a majority of the screen and could not be viewed in conjunction with the driving directions. Google Maps allowed users to view both at the same time by incorporating a scrolling directions bar next to the map. Eventually MapQuest borrowed heavily from Google Maps and redesigned their site to have a similar look. Another thing that Google did when designing their map site was to incorporate programming that helps fill in the gaps for incomplete addresses and other unknowns when getting the directions.
Google Maps has often been hailed as the most accurate of the major mapping sites that are available online (Hull 2010). While it is by no means a perfect site in terms of driving directions, it typically has more direct and quick routes populated by the engine. Google also has the most complete traffic data presented when doing a map search. MapQuest is often wrong with the traffic data and it is more difficult to read and comprehend than the Google site. Yet another bonus for using Google Maps is the option to search using a different means of transportation. Google Maps can be used to show different variations of transportation ranging from walking directions to public transport.
One of the reasons that Google has been so successful with the mapping site is that the company took into consideration what different users want in a mapping site. Obviously MapQuest still is a relevant competitor and other sites are being developed to rival that of Google Maps. The company is being smart about continually developing the site to become more accurate and reliable. With the increasing use of cell phones, Google developed a series of applications for people to use when they are not sitting behind a computer as well. While it is by no means perfect, Google Maps is one of the best mapping sites on the market to date (Hull).
Google’s Tablet the Nexus 7
Tablets are the rage today. There are dozens of options on the market with price tags ranging from less than $200 to well over $1000. With such a huge market, it is not surprising that Google jumped into the pool with everyone else by introducing the Nexus tablet. There are countless features to all of the different variations of tablets that are on the market, so rather than try to compete with all of the different varieties Google developed an inexpensive yet high quality tablet with the Nexus 7.
The two major operating systems for tablets on the market right now are Mac and Android. The Nexus 7 is an Android tablet that Google partnered with Asus to create. The original version of the Nexus 7 featured the first use of the Android 4.1 and an integrated Google Play multimedia store. The idea behind the design and layout was to have the Nexus 7 be an entertainment device for users. The tablet was released July 2012 with a price tag of $199. By the end of 2012 the Nexus 7 was named Gadget and Tablet of the year by T3 Magazine (Parsons 2012). The driving force for the awards was the fact that the Google Play store had over 600,000 apps and games available to users.
The low price point is somewhat surprising for the Nexus 7. Typically the lower priced tablets do not have as many features or the power in the hardware department. The screen resolution is also higher than most similarly priced tablets (Stern 2012). The speed of the tablet also surprised most consumers when the tablet first hit the shelves. The general consensus once the Nexus 7 was revealed was that it was the best new tablet to hit the market (Stern 2012).
The Nexus 7 was an obvious hit as soon as it hit the shelves. Consumers and critics alike were raving about the design and capabilities of the new tablet. Even though the Nexus 7 was a smash hit, Google began working on the next best thing before the original was even on the shelves for a year. July 2013 saw Google unveil the new updated version that also happens to have the highest resolution of any tablet (Poeter 2013). Among the many upgrades are the ability to connect with user’s televisions and stream content from cloud computing. The initial reviews of the newest addition to the tablet family are overwhelmingly positive. Again, the price tag is relatively low compared to the amount of power that comes with the device. The most expensive version will run around $270.
Within only a short time of being in the tablet market, Google has already turned heads and made a significant impact. It is estimated that half of all tablets being sold are based on the Android system (Poeter 2013). With the new version of the Nexus 7 the scales might tip even more towards the Android. Google has focused on making a quality tablet that is significantly cheaper than the other tablets with comparable power and design capabilities.
Google Analytics Almost every business has a website today. One way that businesses can gain a competitive edge is through taking full advantage of their website through the use of Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a resource that can help businesses track how many people are visiting the company website among many other features. The whole point of this resource is to help businesses track goals and make better informed choices with the business’s Internet presence. This is achieved through helping businesses figure out their target audience among other things. Executives, marketers and the IT department are all common users of Google Analytics. Every successful organization has a mission statement and vision. The business website should reflect these ideals and values along with pointing out the important parts of an organization. Once these are known a business can use Google Analytics to figure out how the website is being used by page viewers. Executives can see how initiatives are being met and where the website is getting the most hits from. This will help shape the direction of the website as the company continues to grow. Marketers can use the information garnered from Google Analytics to figure out how to get more visitors to become customers and what advertisements are the most productive and least productive. The IT department can use this tool to help figure out what keywords are being used for searches and what to steer the website away from. Unlike the previous entries, Google Analytics is geared towards businesses rather than individual users. While some people might wish to use the features and benefits to track how many people are visiting a personal blog or other social media sites, the target users are businesses with a burgeoning web presence. The analytics can help businesses figure out if the website is user friendly enough or if it needs to be tweaked (Brandon 2012). For the users that want to track social media Google advises that people should find a widget to simplify Analytics with a pre-defined template (Google 2013). Basically, Google Analytics is a tool that businesses can use to figure out how well their online presence is doing and is free for businesses that have less than 10 million views per month. Most businesses don’t have that many visitors per month, so the majority of Google Analytics users are receiving a free benefit. The idea behind this is that many advertisers will remain as paying customers for Google longer (Clifton 2007). This is not an uncommon business model. Google is actually helping itself by giving this product away to so many businesses. As the businesses realize ways to increase their brand exposure, Google reaps the benefits with that business. Other competitors have started using analytic metrics in the wake of Google’s success but most have been paid for services. Google Analytics is a tool for businesses of all sizes and is free. The only complaint that seems to come with the product is that it can be an overwhelming amount of information to take in. That is where having a clear idea of how the company’s website should be run will make all the difference. Companies that want to get the most out of Google Analytics should have everyone using the website have a clear understanding of the direction that the company wants to go and what the purpose of the analytics tool is.
Google is Green Google is a green company and they are striving to power the company completely with renewable energy (Google 2013). The company supports developing new technology by researching and developing them on the company campuses rather than outsourcing. Google believes that using the various forms of energy will result in a hefty return on investment. So far the company has proven this statement to be true, especially with a solar installation that was built in 2007. The original estimate was that it would take 7 years for that project to pay itself back. It actually paid itself back within 6 years and significantly reduced the company’s carbon footprint (Google 2013). Google has done more than just making its own business green. The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars buying up clean energy investments. Earlier in 2013, Google purchased a massive solar farm and the world’s largest wind farm (Schwartz 2013). Google states that the ROI is only part of the reason that the purchases were made. The company is willing to take risks to help the world realize more green energy.
Conclusion
Google is a giant in so many ways. The company is involved in countless projects and it is constantly evolving to incorporate more technologies and endeavors. So far, many of the various projects that Google has touched have turned out to be successful. Obviously not all projects have resulted in an economic growth or laurels, but for the most part Google has been spot on with business investments and product development. The company is sincerely trying to make the world a better place with green energy. While the sci-fi fanatic in all of us shrieks with delight at the idea of a self-driving vehicle, the reality is that there is more to that technology than just being a cool idea. Roads will be safer and more efficient once Google is able to perfect the idea which might end up rendering Google Maps obsolete for car drivers. Those that want to use the bike an walking features of Google Maps will still have an excellent product to use. Google has turned the tech world upside down by providing free analytics and developing an amazing tablet that costs significantly less than what most people thought it would. All in all, Google has definitely made an impact on the world in the few years that it has been around.

References
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Clifton, Brian. (2007) Why is Google Analytics Free? Retrieved from: http://www.advanced-web-metrics.com/blog/2007/07/23/why-is-google-analytics-unique-free/ on 24 Jul 2013.
Google. (2013) Introduction to Analytics. Retrieved from: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1008065?hl=en on 24 Jul 2013.
Google. (2013). Piloting New Technology. Retrieved from: http://www.google.com/green/energy/use/#piloting on 24 Jul 2013.
Greiling Keane, Angela. (2013) Google’s Self-Driving Cars Get Boost From U.S. Agency. Retrieved from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-30/google-s-self-driving-cars-get-boost-from-u-s-agency.html on 20 Jul 2013.
Null, Christopher. (2010) Which Online Mapping Service is Best? Retrieved from: http://www.techhive.com/article/206702/best_online_mapping_service.html on 20 Jul 2013.
Parsons, Jeff. (2012) 13 Gadget Awards 2012. Gadget of the Year. Retrieved from: http://www.t3.com/news/t3-gadget-awards-2012-gadget-of-the-year#null on 20 Jul 2013.
Poeter, Damon. (2013) Hands On: Google’s New Nexus 7 Tablet With Android 4.3. Retrieved from: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2422265,00.asp on 24 Jul 2013.
Stern, Joanna. (2012) Nexus 7 Review: $200 For the Best Android Tablet Around. Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/nexus-review-200-best-android-tablet/story?id=16707151 on 24 Jul 2013.
Vance, Ashlee. (2013) Google’s Self-Driving Robot Cars Are Ruining My Commute. Retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-28/googles-self-driving-robot-cars-are-ruining-my-commute on 20 Jul 2013.