Google’s “five year plan” to get into Enterprise continues

April 13, 2008 By

Yet another example of Google’s five-year-plan for sticking its foot inside the Enterprise door. What Google is doing here is brilliant.

Google knows that Ray Ozzie is coming later this year with a string of initiatives to keep Microsoft relevant to the new enterprise. They also know that once Microsoft does buy Yahoo Microsoft will use the cuddly Yahoo brand to keep people on its services, too.

So, what is Google doing? Is it trying to build its enterprise strategy itself? No. Look at what it did over the last few weeks: it partnered with Cemaphore to get a Gmail/Outlook connector. It shipped App Engine, which doesn’t seem like it’s aimed at the Enterprise, but watch what developers do with that and you’ll see that’s an important part of the five-year-strategy, and tomorrow it’ll announce a deal with Salesforce (TechCrunch has the details).

Brilliant. They, like the open source movement, are leveraging partnerships to pry open the Enterprise door.

Now we will watch to see how Ray Ozzie defends the door to keep the competition away from its cash cows. I’m visiting Microsoft on June 10-12 to study just that. Oh, and keep June 11th open. Jeff Pulver and I are throwing a breakfast there (Jeff’s breakfasts have become famous around the world — yesterday he had 200 geeks in Tel Aviv — he’s developed a unique way to get people to talk with each other, which is ingenious, more on that later).

Anyway, the Google Five Year Plan is starting to take shape in public. What do you think about its moves?

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  • http://www.mochaquest.com/ mochaquest

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  • Wayne Schulz

    The real issue is that long term the move will probably be to software that runs on multiple platforms.

    Whether this is via the web or via an app engine won’t matter (The market will sort this out).

    What matters is that Microsoft succeeds these days not by innovating, but by monopoly.

    The greatest example of Microsoft’s “not getting it” is to try and go to Microsoft web sites and interact in any meaningful way using Firefox.

  • Wayne Schulz

    The real issue is that long term the move will probably be to software that runs on multiple platforms.

    Whether this is via the web or via an app engine won’t matter (The market will sort this out).

    What matters is that Microsoft succeeds these days not by innovating, but by monopoly.

    The greatest example of Microsoft’s “not getting it” is to try and go to Microsoft web sites and interact in any meaningful way using Firefox.

  • http:www.geardiary.com Wayne Schulz

    The real issue is that long term the move will probably be to software that runs on multiple platforms.

    Whether this is via the web or via an app engine won’t matter (The market will sort this out).

    What matters is that Microsoft succeeds these days not by innovating, but by monopoly.

    The greatest example of Microsoft’s “not getting it” is to try and go to Microsoft web sites and interact in any meaningful way using Firefox.

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  • http://www.tux.org/~lasser/ J. Lasser

    Funny, with all the talk about the Enterprise, I was expecting a Five-year mission, not a five-year plan.

  • http://www.tux.org/~lasser/ J. Lasser

    Funny, with all the talk about the Enterprise, I was expecting a Five-year mission, not a five-year plan.

  • http://www.tux.org/~lasser/ J. Lasser

    Funny, with all the talk about the Enterprise, I was expecting a Five-year mission, not a five-year plan.

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  • Joe

    Yawn…

  • Joe

    Yawn…

  • Joe

    Yawn…

  • http://802.11maps.com/ scott hodson

    Most enterprise developers use .NET or Java. Google AppEngine only supports Python, which is not used very much in the traditional enterprise. Besides, I don’t think AppEngine is really part of an Enterprise solution, it’s a response to Amazon EC2/S3 etc. Besides, most enterprises still want stuff done behind the firewall.

  • http://802.11maps.com/ scott hodson

    Most enterprise developers use .NET or Java. Google AppEngine only supports Python, which is not used very much in the traditional enterprise. Besides, I don’t think AppEngine is really part of an Enterprise solution, it’s a response to Amazon EC2/S3 etc. Besides, most enterprises still want stuff done behind the firewall.

  • http://802.11maps.com scott hodson

    Most enterprise developers use .NET or Java. Google AppEngine only supports Python, which is not used very much in the traditional enterprise. Besides, I don’t think AppEngine is really part of an Enterprise solution, it’s a response to Amazon EC2/S3 etc. Besides, most enterprises still want stuff done behind the firewall.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Five Year Plans are Soviet-styled thinking, you have to be very flexible, and that can be within a 5 day span, 5 years is lucid dreaming. And all Google is doing is partnering with others, so they can have a fuller experience, Google is not Enterprise ready (lacking true relational) nor robust, but Salesforce with Googleish apps, people won’t mind, but more novelty than real software. Google is an advertising company, software is not their game, unless forever beta, with zero communication and privacy issues galore suits your fancy.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Five Year Plans are Soviet-styled thinking, you have to be very flexible, and that can be within a 5 day span, 5 years is lucid dreaming. And all Google is doing is partnering with others, so they can have a fuller experience, Google is not Enterprise ready (lacking true relational) nor robust, but Salesforce with Googleish apps, people won’t mind, but more novelty than real software. Google is an advertising company, software is not their game, unless forever beta, with zero communication and privacy issues galore suits your fancy.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Five Year Plans are Soviet-styled thinking, you have to be very flexible, and that can be within a 5 day span, 5 years is lucid dreaming. And all Google is doing is partnering with others, so they can have a fuller experience, Google is not Enterprise ready (lacking true relational) nor robust, but Salesforce with Googleish apps, people won’t mind, but more novelty than real software. Google is an advertising company, software is not their game, unless forever beta, with zero communication and privacy issues galore suits your fancy.

  • Steve

    Sure. Right. Call me when IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft, and their plethora of partners start seeing their revenue declining in the F500 space due to Google’s “enterprise” strategy. Until then I’m ignoring the 3:00 am phone calls

  • Steve

    Sure. Right. Call me when IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft, and their plethora of partners start seeing their revenue declining in the F500 space due to Google’s “enterprise” strategy. Until then I’m ignoring the 3:00 am phone calls

  • Steve

    Sure. Right. Call me when IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft, and their plethora of partners start seeing their revenue declining in the F500 space due to Google’s “enterprise” strategy. Until then I’m ignoring the 3:00 am phone calls

  • http://www.picoseno.com/ pico

    Think the “web as platform”. Meaning the proprietary features lock-in model which succeed in the monopoly era will be substantially diminished. Enterprise IT will go down hunting services provider (web based) that sufficiently support their business.
    If Google + Salesforce don’t fit the enterprise needs, others will do. “Firms will disperse technology management across an exT (external technology) environment.” (Death of IT by Bobby Cameron of Forrester)

  • http://www.picoseno.com/ pico

    Think the “web as platform”. Meaning the proprietary features lock-in model which succeed in the monopoly era will be substantially diminished. Enterprise IT will go down hunting services provider (web based) that sufficiently support their business.
    If Google + Salesforce don’t fit the enterprise needs, others will do. “Firms will disperse technology management across an exT (external technology) environment.” (Death of IT by Bobby Cameron of Forrester)

  • http://www.picoseno.com pico

    Think the “web as platform”. Meaning the proprietary features lock-in model which succeed in the monopoly era will be substantially diminished. Enterprise IT will go down hunting services provider (web based) that sufficiently support their business.
    If Google + Salesforce don’t fit the enterprise needs, others will do. “Firms will disperse technology management across an exT (external technology) environment.” (Death of IT by Bobby Cameron of Forrester)

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  • Ed

    I’m really trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here, but unfortunately I’m just seeing boosterism. Google may very well get into the enterprise market at some point, but all this is today in regards to any real plans along those lines is just testing the waters. The reality is that the enterprise market is not defined by software functionality, it’s defined by support and services. That’s not a business that Google has shown any interest in being in, because it doesn’t play to their strengths, and one thing that both Benioff and Schmidt know is that you can’t address that part of the equation through partnerships.

  • Ed

    I’m really trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here, but unfortunately I’m just seeing boosterism. Google may very well get into the enterprise market at some point, but all this is today in regards to any real plans along those lines is just testing the waters. The reality is that the enterprise market is not defined by software functionality, it’s defined by support and services. That’s not a business that Google has shown any interest in being in, because it doesn’t play to their strengths, and one thing that both Benioff and Schmidt know is that you can’t address that part of the equation through partnerships.

  • Ed

    I’m really trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here, but unfortunately I’m just seeing boosterism. Google may very well get into the enterprise market at some point, but all this is today in regards to any real plans along those lines is just testing the waters. The reality is that the enterprise market is not defined by software functionality, it’s defined by support and services. That’s not a business that Google has shown any interest in being in, because it doesn’t play to their strengths, and one thing that both Benioff and Schmidt know is that you can’t address that part of the equation through partnerships.

  • http://www.tempworks.com/ gregg dourgarian

    Salesforce/Google enterprise claims…

    Here is what realy enterprise integration looks like from a Microsoft certified enterprise player:

  • http://www.tempworks.com/ gregg dourgarian

    Salesforce/Google enterprise claims…

    Here is what realy enterprise integration looks like from a Microsoft certified enterprise player:

  • http://www.tempworks.com gregg dourgarian

    Salesforce/Google enterprise claims…

    Here is what realy enterprise integration looks like from a Microsoft certified enterprise player:

  • Morgan Farmer

    Google will I hope pardon the aviation industry for not playing alongh with the ‘enterprise’.

  • Morgan Farmer

    Google will I hope pardon the aviation industry for not playing alongh with the ‘enterprise’.

  • Morgan Farmer

    Google will I hope pardon the aviation industry for not playing alongh with the ‘enterprise’.

  • Max

    There is a sense that Google got the answers! Partnering up with others is great for this space but you have to pick who you work with more wisely. Python might be a good platform, but what is there penetration rate in the enterprise. This is what we do every day: Enterprise development and I never heard a client wanting to put their core systems on what seems to be untried technology. Maybe the CEO flavor of the month would do but core business functions not. Is Google looking to replace ASP and MS Dynamics next?

  • Max

    There is a sense that Google got the answers! Partnering up with others is great for this space but you have to pick who you work with more wisely. Python might be a good platform, but what is there penetration rate in the enterprise. This is what we do every day: Enterprise development and I never heard a client wanting to put their core systems on what seems to be untried technology. Maybe the CEO flavor of the month would do but core business functions not. Is Google looking to replace ASP and MS Dynamics next?

  • Max

    There is a sense that Google got the answers! Partnering up with others is great for this space but you have to pick who you work with more wisely. Python might be a good platform, but what is there penetration rate in the enterprise. This is what we do every day: Enterprise development and I never heard a client wanting to put their core systems on what seems to be untried technology. Maybe the CEO flavor of the month would do but core business functions not. Is Google looking to replace ASP and MS Dynamics next?

  • Max

    OOPS… ASP above is SAP- Been a long day!

  • Max

    OOPS… ASP above is SAP- Been a long day!

  • Max

    OOPS… ASP above is SAP- Been a long day!

  • Justin Kestelyn

    Coulter & Steve are 100% right; “enterprise data” and “cloud” are mutually exclusive concepts. (And if enterprise data – HR, SCM, Financials, data warehouse – is not involved, it’s not an enterprise app.)

  • Justin Kestelyn

    Coulter & Steve are 100% right; “enterprise data” and “cloud” are mutually exclusive concepts. (And if enterprise data – HR, SCM, Financials, data warehouse – is not involved, it’s not an enterprise app.)

  • Justin Kestelyn

    Coulter & Steve are 100% right; “enterprise data” and “cloud” are mutually exclusive concepts. (And if enterprise data – HR, SCM, Financials, data warehouse – is not involved, it’s not an enterprise app.)

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  • http://www.atilus.com/blog Zach Katkin

    I think it is brilliant and I hope they are (even in part) able to pull it off. A big part of this will be a branding shift as well – key business players will have to consider Google as a business partner, not just a provider of advertising solutions and search functionality.

  • http://www.atilus.com/blog Zach Katkin

    I think it is brilliant and I hope they are (even in part) able to pull it off. A big part of this will be a branding shift as well – key business players will have to consider Google as a business partner, not just a provider of advertising solutions and search functionality.

  • http://www.atilus.com/blog Zach Katkin

    I think it is brilliant and I hope they are (even in part) able to pull it off. A big part of this will be a branding shift as well – key business players will have to consider Google as a business partner, not just a provider of advertising solutions and search functionality.

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