Introduction to the Google Company
Google is the world’s leading search engine organization founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Since its inception, the company has expanded to provide numerous services to millions of people in different locations across the world. To meet the demands of its customers, the company has employed a dedicated team of individuals responsible for creating tools used for different purposes.
This paper presents a discussion on various aspects of the Google Company and how it conducts its business operations internationally.
Products and Services
Google is well known for offering outstanding search engine services to millions of users across the world. For ease of understanding, the various products and services offered by the company may be grouped under different categories. The web-based classification, for example, incorporates tools for carrying out searches, advertising services, specialized tools for communication and publishing, tools used for development purposes, products for determining locations, and tools for statistical operations. Since they are web-based, these tools can only be accessed through a web browser. Among the search tools is Google search.
Undoubtedly, Google search is the company’s first and most important product. To ensure that the needs of clients are effectively addressed, Google search has evolved over the years. Other web-based products include Encrypted search services that conceal search operations from anyone with ill motives and Accessible search services used by visually impaired individuals. The use of Google books is also very popular among scholars and enables users to access entire books or parts of a book authorized by a particular author. Scholars can also access articles written by others through the Google scholar service. Google alerts are another service that presents users with email notifications whenever new messages are received. Web-based advertising services offered by Google include Google Adwords and Google AdSense.
To ensure effectiveness, Google Adwords makes use of sponsored links, while Google AdSense works by presenting users with Google Adwords that are relevant to the content on the pages accessed by users. Commonly used products under the communication and publishing category include Google Apps, which consists of useful features such as Google calendar, Google groups, Google maps, Google Earth, and Google Docs.
Google Operations in Different Foreign Markets
Internationally, Google has endeavored to build marketing structures ranging from simple representations in different countries to very complex partnerships involving other established companies. Ostensibly, the company acquired a number of companies and services in order to increase the range of services it offers to its clients. Usually, the acquired services are translated and exported to international markets. Partnerships are, however, favored by Google since the acquired companies are permitted to keep their brands while using the services provided by Google. For all intents and purposes, this is meant to benefit all the parties involved in the partnership agreement.
Apparently, the numerous translations made by the company to provide content in different languages makes it appear like the most popular search engine. Despite being so simple, this approach makes it possible for Google to succeed where others have failed. Over the years, the company has been able to customize its interface in order to meet the specific needs of users in different countries around the world.
Being the greatest search engine company in the world, Google has established itself in about 144 countries. While some of the offices are simply meant to provide a point of presence for the company, others are as a result of very complex arrangements made between Google and companies already established in foreign markets. Through its highly specialized services, it is alleged that the company processes close to 60 percent of all Internet searches made in the world. Besides having 13 offices in Asia, 26 in Europe, 3 in Canada, 3 in Latin America, and 5 in the Middle East, the company has more than 70 established office locations across the United States. Because of its simplified user interface and ability to easily expand its back end systems, the company believes that it will be able to penetrate many new markets across the world and establish itself as the most reliable search engine.
Google’s ability to innovate gives it flexibility and makes it possible to have products and services presented using a variety of languages. Through partnerships with companies and governments in different countries, the company has been able to provide essential services to deserving individuals such as college and university students in order to facilitate their research activities. University students in various parts of the world have benefited greatly from Google Apps made available to them through agreements between Google and stakeholders in the host countries.
Google’s international marketing intelligence is also seen through its sensitivity to different cultures in all places where the company operates. The fact that the company provides its users with content that is culturally relevant is a great quality that distinguishes it from other search engine companies in the world. Among Google’s key intentions is to ensure that most, if not all, of its services, can be accessed through different international languages.
Certainly, this is a move aimed at making sure that the company has a strong presence in as many countries in the world as possible. The company’s international marketing concept involves the classification of international companies based on qualitative features, carrying out local modifications, focusing on specific types and areas of internationalization, company internationalization, motivating those involved in the process of internationalization, and identifying critical drivers of internationalization. Despite the fact that Google is mainly a geocentric company with the ability to offer services to everyone across the world, there are certain modifications that make it appear like a regionally focused company.
Generally, Google recruits highly qualified individuals from different parts of the world in order to simplify the process of creating partnerships. In the event that Google has to enter into a partnership agreement with individuals or companies in a foreign country, nationals of that country who are part of the staff at Google are expected to take the lead and ensure that the partnership eventually succeeds. In order to survive in some foreign markets such as China, the company has been compelled to change tact and carry out various modifications as expected by the Chinese government. As earlier explained, the success of the company can also be attributed to the fact that it is able to provide products and services that are sensitive to local cultures and other important local requirements.
Modes of Entry in Different Foreign Markets
To penetrate foreign markets across the world, Google has used a number of strategies. As pointed out earlier, the company has, in some cases, relied on partnerships and strategic alliances to gain entry into foreign markets. To ensure that this succeeds, Google undertakes to recruit its managers from different countries across the world. This is intended to make sure that partnerships built in different countries succeed. Google also makes use of the Internet to export its products and services to foreign markets. This involves acquiring services offered by other companies and translating them into different languages for use in other countries. Another approach used by Google to enter new markets is foreign direct investments (FDI), which involves the acquisition of facilities to sustain its operations in the foreign market.
In some cases, however, the company uses FDI but relies on acquisitions or mergers with companies already established in the foreign markets. This is unlike the Greenfield investment strategy that requires a company to start its investment in a foreign country from scratch. The company also uses the franchising approach to gain entry into foreign markets.
In addition, the company takes time to plan for entry into any foreign market. Among other things, the company is expected to establish the markets to be entered before proceeding. This is apparently meant to eliminate the possibility of entering a market that is not ready. The timing of entry is also very critical. Despite the fact that a market analysis may indicate that a particular market is ready for entry, poor timing may lead to failure. It is thus essential to ensure that the timing for the proposed entry is appropriate. Once the timing is determined, the company then chooses the most appropriate entry mode.
Challenges faced in the Different Markets
Most challenges that are faced by Google in different markets across the world are political. Ostensibly, some people view Google as a threat because of its increased Internet activities. Consequently, the company has received warnings from different countries that expect it to operate within established boundaries. Germany, for example, is afraid that Google may end up becoming a digital super-state and pose a serious threat to the freedom of individuals. Google has also had a problem with the Chinese government because of the way it carries out its operations. While China is careful about exposing so much information to its citizens, Google has no limitations. Google has also been criticized for manipulating search results by some countries.
Success or Failure in the Different Markets
Google Glass is one of the successful inventions by Google. It is used in different parts of the United States as well as in other parts of the world. In most parts of Africa, Google Apps are used by individuals and university students for different purposes. As explained earlier, a number of university students in different parts of the world make use of Google Apps for education purposes. Companies in various parts of the world also make use of Google mail for communication. Students are also able to benefit from Google Docs services, which enable them to store and access their documents from anywhere at any time. However, the company has not been able to succeed in China and some parts of Asia.
Global Supply Chain
To a large extent, Google is focused on coming up with green solutions to meet its supply chain requirements. With its powerful tools, the company is able to encourage a high level of collaboration among the members of its supply chain. The company is currently working on strategies that will create a global supply chain that facilitates the sharing of business information between customers, suppliers, and other intermediate service providers.
Conclusion
While technology has created new markets for products and services, it has also compelled businesses enterprises to come up with innovative services in order to survive in a competitive environment. As a leading search engine in the world, Google has distinguished itself as an innovative company and is thus able to offer unique services to clients, unlike its competitors.