Ladies and gentlemen, another round is more in the titanic clash between Mountain View and Redmond. The market for Internet search remains a very sensitive issue, and in his last term, Microsoft has launched the "Scroogled" seeking to expose you some details about the presentation of results in Google Shopping service. With Black Friday over, purchases through the Web come to another dimension with the arrival of the Christmas season, and from the perspective of Microsoft, its Bing search engine delivers results "more honest" compared to the competition.
I well remember a line from the movie "Antitrust", 2001. Tim Robbins's character mentions that when you're on top, people attack the quality of the product. Departing and returning from fiction to reality, we find Google under media pressure in Europe and Latin America, while the Federal Trade Commission is considering making a claim against the Mountain View giant. Meanwhile, who reminds us that it is still at war with Google is Microsoft, through its recent campaign "Scroogled". The term "Scroogled" is no more than a corruption of the English word for "j * Dido", but the advance of Microsoft goes one step further.
Microsoft's complaint alleges that when searching for products on Google Product Search, the user does not receive the results "more relevant", but actually receives first ads that have been paid, getting priority. Technically, Microsoft is right, because Google Shopping recently adopted a scheme known as "pay-to-play". This works for now only in the United States, but will expand to other countries in 2013. However, as I have found other specialized portals, Bing does exactly the same. In addition, the video makes the mistake of saying that the results are for "the highest bidder". The results are sold, but no bid involved.
Another spark that draws attention, another brush to take into account and keep anecdotally. It is not the first time Microsoft comes to crossing Google, and definitely not the last. This new campaign reminds us to "G-Mailman", another invention of Microsoft, although at that time it was under attack was the Google Mail service. Personally I think it is an appropriate time (despite it's proximity to Christmas) so that Redmond enter into this kind of duels. And while Bing has about 16 percent of searches on American soil (which is primarily directed this campaign), the overall numbers clearly indicate that Bing should have other priorities before impact advertising. Moreover, the "pay for performance" is another variant of product placement, and it is not necessary to mention what we saw in series like "Hawaii 5-0" or movies like "The Amazing Spider-Man" ... Right?
Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. Commented Rodolfo Carpintier, founder of the Internet incubator and investment DAD, that the growth rates of the companies "are getting faster" and "the problem is that the products are short star 'forcing' reinvent '. World renowned firms such as Apple products have led to its fullest, are required to "be able to do it again."
The demand is high and a poor reception from consumers can reverse the ranking. Example of Nokia, fourteen years at the top, has fallen four places in the ranking of companies with greater sales numbers. "The thing to do is what they've done well to repeat many times," summarizes this technological expert. Experts agree in indicating that it is "very important" to have a workhorse that identifies the strength of the brand.
Samsung, the consumer electronics to mobile
The Korean firm is present in the world of "smartphones" with its Galaxy models. Its Android devices have driven to a high level after HTC became the first mobile operating system available. So popular and so successful has your SIII, which has already outsold its direct rival, the iPhone, in the market Unidos.En of 'tablets' struggle to gain a foothold with a powerful Galaxy Tab, which has received the congratulations of the experts.
And is that Samsung makes its way into the second position worldwide mobile phone sales (23% market share). The data speaks for itself. During the second quarter of 2012 sold 50.2 million "smartphones" worldwide. Immersed in the legal battle with Apple in which he had to pay one billion fine for copying designs, the company is present in other sectors such as consumer electronics and entertainment, heavy industry, financial services and even industry chemistry. Can claim to have sold the first plasma TV in the world.
Apple, design and art
The Cupertino company competes in the mobile device market with two products of remarkable success: the iPhone, whose sales account for two thirds of total company profits, and iPad, the king of 'tablets'. The technology firm that embodies concepts such as art and design, has a very robust arsenal of products focused on the publishing, advertising and creativity. The iPhone 5 broke all sales records. Only on the first day of orders placed 2 million units, double that of its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. So much is the impact that their owners are "more satisfied" than the rest of other brands, according to a survey.
Star can also boast about the urban legend that their computers are alien to computer viruses. Besides others, developed Safari, your browser exclusively, but his philosophy of total control only makes is in its iOS operating system. Can not forget the iPod (Classic, Nano, Shuffle and Touch), which changed the music consumption model since its launch ten years ago. Your success is undeniable: 275 million units sold since.
His latest surprise, a mini version of the iPad, has already begun to manufacture a whopping figure of four million units per month. Another of his successes have been implanted worldwide Apple Store where they bring their products to their fanatical followers. Betting on Apple means jump through hoops, given the tight control exerted on the applications.
Microsoft, king of operating systems
Two decades on top They note his career as one of the most important companies in history. The Redmond company you must have been able to introduce operating systems in homes with Windows, its hallmark and so are known mainly. After several upgrades (Windows 95, 98, Millenium, NT, XP, 7 and 8), is the platform for excellence. It is found in 90% of computers. It is the most widespread, both in homes and businesses. Its interface is recognized by all for its simplicity and popularity. It is their flagship, along with the office suite Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook) with much of users daily living, but now has stiff competition with Google Docs services, OppenOffice.org or iWork.
With its recent launch of Windows 8, which focuses mainly on the world of mobility, waiting to enter the "tablets" and mobile devices, but has had a tepid sales start. Now with Surface, whose arrival in Spain is rumored to spring next year, have begun to expand the manufacture of hardware. With a strategic agreement with Nokia, the Windows Phone 8 will seek progress terrain. They can also boast integrated Internet Explorer, which has generated so many complaints until May and was the world's most used browser. He has had several legal problems by favoring Internet Explorer browsers detrimental to other existing and its technology has been overtaken by other competitors like Chrome.
No slouch in the fighting in the field of gaming with the Xbox 360, rival Sony Playstation 3. The product, made in collaboration with Intel and Nvidia, has sold 24 million units, according to official figures. Microsoft's strategy has been, in many cases, buying competitors products and services, such as Skype, which it acquired last year by 9,000 million dollars. They owed MSN, now integrated with Skype, and instant messaging service known.
The truth is that if Apple has managed to make its stores of his trademark, Microsoft intends to do the same. For this, the company is looking for the formula that best suits each city and open environment in which one of these stores. The plans of the company is already carrying these stores in Europe.
Google, the search for excellence
Developed by the Open Handset Alliance, Android bet is betting on Google. By working in the cloud, to have everything in sync, for robustness and speed. Samsung or HTC make their devices with this platform, currently the highest penetration. In fact, worldwide reached a market share of 50.9% in the fourth quarter of 2011, more than twice the second operating system (Apple iOS) more quota. Leads this market segment.
81.7% of the new "smartphones" in the Spanish market with the Android operating system, according to the latest report on buying habits, possession, spending and use of mobile telephony in Spain by the consulting firm Kantar Worldpanel. Compared to the share achieved in the same period last year, has improved its share from 58.1% to 81.7% mainly due to sales of the cheaper models. Per share, followed by Android platform Symbian (Nokia), with 4.9% of the renovations, and in third place is iOS, starting to feel the effects of the release of the iPhone 5 and it is 4% of the renovations. For its part, RIM (Blackberry) has a share of 3.4% and the Windows (Microsoft), 2.9%.
But what is known by Google, that bill more than $ 100 million a day for the ads 'online', is to be the biggest search engine in the world, and has a powerful array of services and products that have been developed as its Gmail email account or your own browser Chrome acquiring companies in many cases, as in the case of management platforms Blogger or YouTube video. The recently initiated into the world of technology even associate their logo with internet. However, the company founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page, has been accused of repeatedly skipping the privacy of its users.
The nickname "Internet giant" is accompanying him. It is present even in the world of mobility. Google has a range of devices called Nexus. The first was made by HTC Nexus One, followed by two "smartphones" manufactured by Samsung, the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. Already in 2012 it introduced the first "tablet" Nexus, the Nexus 7, manufactured by Asus, which have accompanied the Nexus phone 4 and the "tablet" Nexus 10, presented last October. Nevertheless, in recent years has suffered severe failures. Your social networking strategy has been great fiascos (Google Wave or Google Plus) versus successful platforms like Twitter or Facebook. To this we must add that have not yet found the key operating systems with the Chrome OS project.
