The Google story

Everyone knows Google today. Is it the company or the brand or the search engine. I feel there is no line between all these.

In the last decade Google came into prominence through its amazing search engine. As time moved on, Google hit the lime light again with their Advertising initiative. Even thought they have some 120 products under them, Search and Advertising are by-far the most important products Google has come up with. These two are making life tough for its competitors.

It is a company built on technology and strategy, both of them with equal proportions. Their attention to detail and clarity of purpose have resulted in they sweeping the market time and again. As per the CEO, Google has a vision in place, a vision which will take 300 yrs to materialise. The company is focused on "Ubiquity first, revenues later". Their programmers are told "Usefulness first, usability later". If this is the attitude of the company and if they Walk the Talk, there is no way on earth anyone can stop them.

Apparently, the company has a 80-20 rule, where-in the employees will perform their usual activities in 80% of their time and 20% of their time they need to work on new ideas or projects of their own liking. The seeds of innovation are sown here. Google News is one such by-product.

The company is doing good even though the competition is getting tougher day-by-day, but Google has occupied a very important place in the minds of the customer and it will take a herculean task for any company to replace that space.

Well, Google is here to stay !!!

Even this shall pass away ....

Even this shall pass away nature and beings.

Once in Persia reigned a king,
Who upon his signet ring
Graved a maxim true and wise,
Which, if held before his eyes,
Gave him counsel at a glance
Fit for every change and chance.
Solemn words, and these are they;
"Even this shall pass away."

Trains of camels through the sand
Brought him gems from Samarkand;
Fleets of galleys through the seas
Brought him pearls to match with these;
But he counted not his gain
Treasures of the mine or main;
"What is wealth?" the king would say;
"Even this shall pass away."

'Mid the revels of his court,
At the zenith of his sport,
When the palms of all his guest
Burned with clapping at his jest,
He, amid his figs and wine,
Cried, "O loving friends of mine;
Pleasures come, but not to stay;
'Even this shall pass away."

Lady, fairest ever seen,
Was the bride he crowned his queen.
Pillowed on his marriage bed,
Softly to his soul he said:
"Though no bridegroom ever pressed
Fairer bosom to his breast,
Mortal flesh must come to clay-
Even this shall pass away."

Fighting on a furious field,
Once a javelin pierced his shield;
Soldiers, with a loud lament,
Bore him bleeding to his tent.
Groaning from his tortured side,
"Pain is hard to bear, " he cried;
"But with patience, day by day,
Even this shall pass away."

Towering in the public square,
Twenty cubits in the air,
Rose his statue, carved in stone.
Then the king, disguised, unknown,
Stood before his sculptured name,
Musing meekly: "What is fame?
Fame is but a slow decay;
Even this shall pass away."

Struck with palsy, sore and old,
Waiting at the Gates of Gold,
Said he with his dying breath,
"Life is done, but what is Death?"
Then, in answer to the king,
Fell a sunbeam on his ring,
Showing by a heavenly ray,
"Even this shall pass away."

- Theodore Tilton