How Has Google Used The Cloud to Become Online Market Leaders?

Although many users of Google don’t associate the search engine giant with cloud computing, they’re very closely related indeed.Along with Facebook, Google is regarded as an internet leviathan. Google commands a 66.8% search engine market share in the U.S, compared to [Microsoft] Bing’s 15.6%, and Yahoo’s 14.4%.Although originally and primarily a search engine, it is Google’s diversification in to other online sectors that has helped it to retain its stranglehold on the online market.GmailAlthough Windows Live (formerly Hotmail) and Yahoo mail were the early starters in the cloud mail arena, Google now secures the largest market share, with over 425 million active Gmail users. This is helped in part by smartphone and mobile devices with Android operating systems using Google’s mail client as its default email software.YouTubeGoogle’s acquisition of YouTube secured the company as an internet mega-power. After Facebook and Google.com, YouTube is the most visited website in the world. YouTube changed the face of the internet by allowing anyone (with an internet connection) to upload videos to the cloud, and share them with anyone in the world. Google now makes new users of YouTube sign up to a Google account, which in turn increases numbers of Gmail and Google+ users. As with Gmail, software is also integrated in to iPhone, iPad and Android devices.Google Drive (formerly Google Docs)Google Drive is Google’s free cloud storage solution. Similar in operation to DropBox, gDrive allows anyone with a Google account to upload documents and files to the cloud, and then share them with other Google users. This is useful for those who many not have specialised cloud solutions or server access. Google Drive can be accessed from anywhere that has an internet connection, making it a powerful solution for those on the move. There are also specialised Google Drive applications for iOS and Android users, making file sharing very straightforward.Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft OfficeGoogle now offers a service which allows users to simultaneously edit Microsoft Office documents, as well as sharing and saving them to the cloud. Similar in concept to their own Google Drive, except users will be utilising the ever popular Microsoft Office software (although Google Drive does support Microsoft Office formats anyway). This is perhaps suited to those who still need full Microsoft functionality.Google Cloud PrintAnother cloud software that Google is pioneering is titled “Cloud Print”. Users can print from any device, anywhere! By enabling home and work printers on the network, users can print documents on the fly from anywhere that has an internet connection.Google continues to diversify and release new software and services based in the cloud. Although many go unnoticed, or do not acquire huge success (Google+), many become market leaders (Gmail, Youtube, etc). Many believe that Google is the trendsetter when it comes to contemporary online technology; their focus on cloud services reinforces the importance of moving away from locally stored data and embracing shared services.