Category: Google

Google’s Long HARDware Road

Google is the new kid on the block with smartphones, but they are being treated like an established player. Their sales of the Pixel 1 and likely sales of Pixel 2/XL are likely to be very small, maybe 5m units total in 2018, but because they are Google, they are being taken seriously. While I completely agree Google should not be graded on a curve, and many media outlets are slowly waking up to this reality, I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for at least the next few years.

Google’s Machine Learning Backbone

Last year at Google I/O, the term AI was thrown around frequently. This year, Google didn’t use AI as much during their opening keynote but they did use the term machine learning much more. It was a subtle but important shift, which speaks to how Google is orienting themselves around their mission statement to “organize the world’s data”.

Computing Platforms and Value Creation

One of the more powerful indicators of an ecosystem that has not only staying power but one that can ward off disruption as well is when a platform creates value for more than just the company that owns it. Perhaps the best modern example of this is Apple’s iOS platform and Microsoft Windows. Each has succeeded a creating a deep and intricate value chain for partners and customers of the platform. Both have an exhaustive list of software and services which are worth the time of the developers and services providers to invest resources into because they provide value back to those investing in the platform.