Google guns for Microsoft Office in New Ad Campaign
Google is launching an all-out offensive against Microsoft and its Microsoft Office software suite with a new ad campaign called "Going Google." In addition to being spattered all over the web, the new ads will also appear on billboards on four major U.S. highways that will give a new message about Google Apps everyday for a month. Said highways include the 101 in San Francisco, the West Side Hwy in New York, the Ike in Chicago, and Mass Pike in Boston.
The strategically placed ads, which will target IT managers stuck in traffic jams, will focus on how and why some 3,000 organizations are signing up to use Google Apps each day. According to Google, more than 1.75 million businesses, schools, and organizations have joined to use the various combinations of Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and other Google Apps.
Google's new ad campaign represents the latest in an ongoing war between the search giant and Microsoft. Google recently announced the development of its Chrome OS, while Microsoft recently announced a deal to take over Yahoo's search business.
Image Credit: TechCrunch
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mesiah
August 03, 2009 at 8:27pm
Personally I don't think google docs is quite there yet when it comes to being a full replacement for MS office. While the ability to share docs or access them from any location is nice, the interface still feels a little clunky to me. While it may be just fine for a highschool student writing a paper, I can't possibly imagine someone doing a company report and utilizing the spread sheet program. Maybe they forget that excell and access are what drive the sales in the business world, not MS word. Using the google docs spread sheet program just felt clunky. Entering functions did not seem nearly as intuitive as excel. Even simple things like adding a hyperlink to a cell lacked any menu or wizard for implementation. Both MS office and open office are light years ahead of google docs when it comes to functionality. I like the idea of document portability, but for now I will stick to creating my docs in office.
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WildmanCAL
August 03, 2009 at 8:30am
Gee...I get to trade one monopoly for another. "Free" is not free to Google, they still make money off of their apps.
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Tekzel
August 03, 2009 at 10:41am
'"Free" is not free to Google, they still make money off of their apps.'
You know, I had to read that a number of times just to make sure I didn't imagine it. That has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have seen someone say in a little while. Why does Google making money off their apps that YOU don't pay a dime mean its not free? They have to make money somehow, other wise they can't keep putting out all these great apps that you don't pay for.
They even have the one ad system I don't intentionaly block or skip.
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comptech08
August 03, 2009 at 8:40am
duh, google wouldnt be offering their products for free if they were not making any money. I can see where some people think Microsoft is a monopoly (i don't think so) but google? How many search engines are there? There is a ton. And plus there is also a ton of other alternatives to gmail, adsense, google docs etc... Google is not even remotely close to a monopoly. They are just good at what they do.
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horzo
August 03, 2009 at 8:57am
Creating and editing sensitive company documents in the "cloud."
Sure, what could go wrong?
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Tekzel
August 03, 2009 at 10:45am
I agree with you in principal, I even feel a bit icky about it. However, think about all the sensitive company information, social security numbers, credit card numbers, etc that keeps getting leaked out by dumbasses taking it home on a thumb drive, leaving it on a notebook in their back seat while they go in to get a brew. Just because the info is sitting on your server at your office doesn't necessarily mean it is safe. If you allow the drooling masses to access it, it is exposed.
Frankly, I will take technological measures over trusting morons any day of the week.
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horzo
August 03, 2009 at 12:20pm
It's not encryption technology I don't trust. It's Google and its employees.














