Google 2008 Case Study
BUS 900n
12/05/2011
Table of Contents
I. Background 3
II. Analysis 5 A. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5 B. Strategic Objectives 7 C. SWOT Analysis 8 D. Financial Review 11
III. Alternatives 12 i. Do nothing 12 ii. Expand Android’s offering 12 iii. Increase market penetration of Chrome Internet Browser 13 iv. Expand into other technology markets 14 v. Increase search dominance in developing markets 15
IV. Recommendations 15
V. Implementation 16 Appendix 19
I. Background (Introduction) Google began in 1996 as a project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Page and Brin were both studying at Stanford University California. They came up with a plan to make a search engine that ranked websites according to the number of other websites that linked to that site (and ultimately came up with the Google we have today). Before Google, search engines had ranked sites simply by the number of times the term being searched for appeared on the web page, consequently the duo set out to make a more “aware” search engine. They named the search engine Back-Rub due to engine’s ability to use back links to a site to determine its relevancy. Later on, the site was renamed to Google. This word is derived from the word 'googol' which stands for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. Sergey Brin and Larry Page chose this because they thought it was appropriate for a search engine which would seek out information from the astronomical number of possible sources contained on the Internet. Page and Brin found their first investor in Andy Bechtolsheim, who was among those that founded the giant Sun Microsystems. He was so impressed by their
12/05/2011
Table of Contents
I. Background 3
II. Analysis 5 A. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5 B. Strategic Objectives 7 C. SWOT Analysis 8 D. Financial Review 11
III. Alternatives 12 i. Do nothing 12 ii. Expand Android’s offering 12 iii. Increase market penetration of Chrome Internet Browser 13 iv. Expand into other technology markets 14 v. Increase search dominance in developing markets 15
IV. Recommendations 15
V. Implementation 16 Appendix 19
I. Background (Introduction) Google began in 1996 as a project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Page and Brin were both studying at Stanford University California. They came up with a plan to make a search engine that ranked websites according to the number of other websites that linked to that site (and ultimately came up with the Google we have today). Before Google, search engines had ranked sites simply by the number of times the term being searched for appeared on the web page, consequently the duo set out to make a more “aware” search engine. They named the search engine Back-Rub due to engine’s ability to use back links to a site to determine its relevancy. Later on, the site was renamed to Google. This word is derived from the word 'googol' which stands for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. Sergey Brin and Larry Page chose this because they thought it was appropriate for a search engine which would seek out information from the astronomical number of possible sources contained on the Internet. Page and Brin found their first investor in Andy Bechtolsheim, who was among those that founded the giant Sun Microsystems. He was so impressed by their