Going back to Google Spreadsheet again (really, is it possible to not mention it at all? The noise seems to grow louder with each passing minute)
"... is it okay for Google to compete with many smaller companies, using its massive scale, integrating the applications into its platform - and not even bother to try and monetize those applications? And it is not even in its mission?"
The mission is (no, not World Peace) to index the World's information. Following a few more links, I came across this comment in a 2.0 blog which is definitely worth pondering over:
"Less than 1% of spreadsheet users will switch from some other spreadsheet to Google’s. There are no smaller companies involved with this."
And while talking about Google Spreadsheet, Jeremy Wright had written:
8. Users need to be trained to move online. First by extending existing office tools with online apps (ie: Outlook Web Access, etc). Then by providing fully online services.
The truth is there several Online Office applications around for a while. Zoho of course - Writer, Planner, Creator, Sheet, and there are several individual players as well - iRows, Editgrid, Thumbstacks and many, many others were alive and kicking even before the Writely acquisition. However lot of folks still aren't ready for a Web Office suite, least of all from smaller companies. Robert Scoble says he's very unlikely to give even a big company my corporate data, but far far far less likely to give a small company that stuff. He feels that smaller companies may go out of business that way and that is a risk not worth taking.
Short answer: Your data will be a lot safer in our servers. Long answer: Heck, your data will be a lot safer in our servers. Don't we all like to leave the domestic responsibilities to somebody else? Same works here.
This blogpost offers a better explanation:
"I hate the whole "backup my PST/OST, install Office, re-boot, download the 400 service packs / urgent security upgrades, re-boot, where did I backup my OST/PST (and what the hell is the difference between the two again?)" rollercoaster. It shouldn't take a day out of my life to re-build my PC. I can see the day rapidly approaching when I install an OS, a browser, and then get back to work. The thing I love most about Gmail is that my data is safe. I can't screw it up. I can't accidentally format a hard drive and lose it."
Convincing?
Oh, and on a related note, thanks (once again) to Zoli for the visual comparison on ZohoSheet and Google Spreadsheet.
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