Google Antitrust Scrutiny: The Price of Success

IT was revealed this hebdomad that the Government Trade Commission (FTC) has begun an just investigation of Google business practices. Whether or non Google is guilty of unfair practices or not, the very fact that antitrust assertions are existence successful is a sign of success. Congratulations Google! You've officially made information technology to the enormous time.

When you're a scrappy inauguration doing what information technology takes to claw your right smart into a market, nobody pays much attention because the odds are fair that you won't be around two years from now. It is grueling to impose unfair business practices, or exert undue charm over an industry when nobody knows who you are and you Don River't actually feature whatsoever influence.

Federal Trade Commission seal — Drawing the antimonopoly attention of the FTC is a flake of a in question badge of honor.

Google began its macrocosm as the 'opposing-Microsoft'–a young, scrappy newcomer with a simple mantra to 'arrange no evil' and a business model built primarily around just not being like Microsoft. Fast forward baker's dozen years, and Google is a globally-recognized tech giant synonymous with Web search and online advertising. It still maintains a quixotic drive to do battle with Microsoft, but the student has become the teacher, and Google has evolved into the very affair it set bent defeat.

Google's success is a catch-22; a mortal-eating vicious circle. In its quest to provide accurate, in dispute information as quickly as possible, information technology has established an empire of online resources. Google has gone indeed far as to develop its own Browser, its have mobile operating system, and its own operative scheme all in an effort to streamline the use and functionality of the Web. The growth and dominance of those resources is a testament to Google's success.

The very fact that any rival would accuse Google of unfair practices, or that any consumer would assert that Google is wielding its ascendency in ways that stifle fair competition is a bit like a badge of honor that indicates some standard of success. Google joins the ranks of Microsoft, Intel, the first AT&T, IBM, and Apple as technical school giants that have gotten so big they are the victims of their personal winner.

Apple late experience a similarly dubious 'reward' with the rash of malware attacks against Mac OS X. Malware developers don't want to waste resources developing attacks for platforms with such moderate market share that even a successful attack would render little effect. The very fact that cyber crooks are paying any attention to Mac OS X at all indicates that Apple has reached some critical mass of market partake in that makes information technology a worthy target.

Google is certain a long, hard battle. But, when all is said and done, it can wear its FTC antitrust scars with pride, and rap itself happening the back for reaching the elect ranks of the monopolistic entities it correct out to topple.