Clash of the Titans

No, this is not a discussion about the Sam Worthington 2010 hit – but nevertheless, it has all the elements of a Hollywood potboiler – drama, aggression and excitement included. It is about the technological leaders of our times, who have repeatedly clashed in the marketplace – to get a greater mindshare and of course, larger market share. These clashes do not follow the usual rules of fair competition and evolved logic – only one thing matters – winning.

The most recent such event, and oft cited so as to become nauseating – is the recent battle between Apple and Samsung. Rather than being fought in the marketplace, this battle was fought in the confines of courtrooms – and its course set by a jury of just 12 people. Two large companies fought over an issue, which was very difficult and fluid to judge – whether a particular, but still generic, design was copied or not. Though this time, Apple got a favorable verdict, the battle will continue for some time – and on other fronts.

Another notable battle that happened sometime back was between Google and Facebook – industry leaders in diverse fields. Yet, their paths clashed, and some interesting fireworks ensued. The growth of Facebook became the big news sometime, and many started predicting that search as we know it will become a thing of the past – with Social interaction and friends’ recommendation becoming everything. This was good news for Facebook, but very bad news for Google – whose revenues stemmed from traditional searching activity and way people clicked on ads that resulted from those searches. This realization resulted in some deft moves from both players – while Facebook started exploring paid ads to realize its huge social potential, Google put more focus on its social aspect, prompting the launch of Google +. This meant both players encroached into each other’s territories - giving rise to some interesting times. However, with the passage of time, much of the basis of the talk has fizzled out – while Facebook is still struggling to monetize its huge social promise, Google has definitely succeeded with its social endeavor.

Another old and persisting battle is between Google and Microsoft – with both the companies starting in diverse paths. However, with the launch of Bing, a search engine initially touted as an alternative to Google, Microsoft started a head on battle. Google also fired its own shots – with products like Google docs that do most of the basic functions of the Microsoft Office suite. The battle between the two extended on another front too – the rapidly expanding mobile OS and smart phone universe. While Microsoft offered a proprietary Windows Mobile, Google backed Android – an open source, Linux based mobile OS. It is another matter that the honors in the battle were taken by neither of the two, but by a third entity – Apple – which took the lead in mobile OS with the launch of its iPhone. However, Android has emerged as a credible alternative, with Windows Mobile a distant third.

These are but a few of the instances - such corporate battles often result between industry leaders led by profits and market share. In this scenario, success remains the only alternative, and business acquires the façade of an all out war. And as they say, everything is fair in war! So, the battle spill out of boardrooms, and spill into courtrooms as happened in the case of Apple vs. Samsung. However, these battles do not always result in destruction and negativity – sometimes some good also comes out of them, and end users also get something of benefit, as with products such as Google + or Android.