Google’s Enterprise Trojan Horse How It Can Build Upon a Cisco Cius Success
1. Use It As A Starting PointThe best thing Google can do with a successful Cius is use it as a starting point for its enterprise operation. It can finally say that Android really does work in the corporate world. And with users getting more comfortable with the Android devices, it’s entirely possible that Google will be able to sell more Android-based smartphones. Yes, the tablet is made by Cisco, and the company has modified Android OS to make it more appealing to the enterprise, but that’s the beauty of Google’s mobile operating system.
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2. Improve AndroidWith Android 2.2 on its way to smartphones, Google should be thinking about how it can improve Android version 2.3 to make it even more enterprise-friendly. With the Cius tablet leading the charge, Google will be putting Android in the hands of far more people, and several folks who will be able to make future technology buying decisions. But an Android 2.3 that isn’t more enterprise-friendly is a missed opportunity.
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3. Focus On AppleIf the Cius is successful, Google can’t simply allow Apple to continue dominating the consumer market. Currently, Apple is the biggest obstacle standing in Google’s way. The more the iPhone 4 succeeds, the more Google will need to find a way to deliver a better product that appeals to customers more effectively. No matter how popular the Cius is, if Google can’t stop Apple’s meteoric rise, or at least slow it down, the company is in for trouble both in the consumer space and in the enterprise.
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4. Take the Fight to MicrosoftA successful Cius tablet will help Google do what it has hoped to do for years now: take Microsoft on in the enterprise. Microsoft has said that it will be offering several Windows 7-based tablets to both consumers and enterprise customers. If the Cius is more capable and more appealing to the corporate customers, Google will have its first upper hand in the enterprise. From there, it needs to build on that success by bringing Chrome OS, Android smartphones, and Google Search to the corporate world. The fight for the enterprise is just beginning.
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5. Improve Google DocsGoogle Docs is a liability for the search company right now. The software might appeal to consumers that want simple functionality, but for enterprise customers that require advanced functionality, it doesn’t hold up against Microsoft Office. And when the Cius launches, users hoping to edit documents on the tablet might be a little disappointed with what Google offers in Google Docs. The company should be working on a more robust version of the software right now. The sooner it gets a viable alternative to Microsoft Office on the market, the better.
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6. Strike A Deal With CiscoAlthough the companies have a partnership now, Google should do everything it can to strike a deal with Cisco and make it the company’s exclusive software provider for enterprise solutions for a certain extended period. By doing so, it can be assured that it will be offering an enterprise solution with a key corporate player for the foreseeable future. Even better, the company will be able to block Microsoft out of that equation. If Google strikes a deal with Cisco, it keeps Microsoft at bay.
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7. Focus On the CloudThe cloud is the future for the enterprise. And as a Web-based company, Google enjoys the unique opportunity to capitalize heavily on that growing market. But it can only do that if it uses the success of the Cius to help it bring cloud solutions to the corporate world. Admittedly, that won’t be easy, since the Cius will be running a heavily modified version of Android. But that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. After all, it’s still running Android, which should help put Google on the radar of most major organizations.
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8. Go to IBMAll the talk of the Cius tablet seems to forget about other major enterprise players, including IBM, as potential Google partners. As successful as Cisco is, IBM is in a different league altogether with the cash and clout to make an alternative to the Cius. Realizing that, Google must start thinking about partnering with that company now. The last thing it needs is for Microsoft to ink a deal with IBM and put its operating system in the company’s tablets. IBM might not seem interested in tablets now, but if there is a market opportunity, the company will jump on it. And Google should want it to jump on that with it.
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9. Bring Success to DellDell is lost right now, trying over the past few years to reemerge as a major player in the computing space, but every time, it falls short. The Cius has already made the Dell Streak seem obsolete, thanks to its larger screen and better functionality. If Google is smart, it will bring that case to Dell. The hardware company is already an Android partner, which is great, but it fails to see what customers are really looking for. With some help from Google, and using Cius as a guide, maybe it can deliver an Android-based product that enterprise customers, and eventually consumers, will want.
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10. Use It As An Advertising PlatformIn the end, Google’s business decisions rely upon the its advertising efforts. A recent report found that the company is deriving most of its mobile revenue from advertising. A successful Cius tablet could help that. Google could increase its installed base, and thus, its advertising revenue, plus it might also be able to sell corporate customers on advertising initiatives to capitalize on the growing success of Android. After all, it’s already a partner with them in the mobile space, why not convert them into paying customers in another sector of the company’s business? It’s something to consider.