The Google Business Model Borders on Sinister as it Looks to Bring Down the Apple IPhone Juggernaut. Google’s marketing team may have had their television stuck on the History Channel for last six months because they’re using tactics with the Android operating system very similar to setting up a siege on a large Medieval wall.
The Apple iPhone has Competition
When Generals, back in those times, found themselves facing such a daunting obstacle (such as the Apple iPhone to other phone makers) they resorted to sending small teams “sappers” tunneling underneath the massive structures and bring it down, without those behind the walls, even realizing it.
Google is offering a free alternative solution in their Google Android operating system to phone manufacturers in the hopes that in a few years the phone environment will appear similar to server side software on the Internet where free open source operating systems rule. Apple iPhone’s operating system is a tightly guarded license only system.
Apple iPhone’s business model is much like a dictatorship in which the head of the iPhone divisions controls and manufacture their phones. They control their brand and their business in a centralized iron grip. Apple has integrated their hardware design with applications like iTunes and others and it is exclusively tied to certain mobile phone manufacturers. Apple forces these mobile phone manufacturers to make certain concessions that they want in place.
Apple goes on to dictate where it’s phones are sold and by whom as well as handling all support issues regarding the iPhone. If you need technical help for your iPhone your friendly neighborhood mobile phone shop will be forced to call Apple. That means hardware issues, software issues, and troubleshooting for the iPhone are only provided through your local mobile phone company by Apple. This control by Apple is rigid and non-negotiable for mobile phone companies that look to sell the iPhone.
Apple also makes it impossible to get the Apple iPhone operating system anywhere else and even go so far as to limit what application the consumer can actually place on their iPhone. This type of control can lead to Apple banning popular apps like Adobe Flash in their phones.
Google plans to attack this oppressive business model of Apple by using subterfuge and offering a free open source operating system in Android. On the surface, Google’s attempt to take down the giant iPhone seems noble, but, it isn’t. Google will be supplying its operating system for free but in the background is trying to pull a Microsoft.
Google Android has Manufacturers Excited
Google hopes to spread its free operating system around to several phone manufacturers and gain ground in the phone market by more manufacturers using their system. Once that is complete and Google shares a fair share of the market you will start seeing a return on its investment by charging for its applications to use with the software and also it makes money by selling ads and, this could even be more sinister than Apple, tracking your user preferences.
So going into 2010, Google plans to go after the smartphone market (mainly assaulting Apple iPhone) much like Linux attacks Windows, but, it is really nothing like Linux at all. Google is exploiting the open source community’s goodwill by offering the traditional free-for-all operating system but using invisible ink on the bottom of the contract to trick us. Apple iPhone or Google Android in 2010, can’t we vote them both off the island?
