I'm Feeling Lucky.

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Author: Whelan, David

Section: Outfront

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I'm Feeling Lucky

Anybody who sells software, advertising or telecom services has to be worried about Google. What's it going to do with that $7 billion cash hoard?

Microsoft became the blob that ate the PC software industry by folding versions of competitors' programs into Windows and Office. It made roadkill of Borland, WordPerfect, Novell, Real Networks and Netscape. "Microsoft has had competitors in the past. It's a good thing we have museums to document this stuff," Bill Gates remarked last year. (Creamings have come fewer and farther between of late. See "Microsoft's Midlife Crisis")

Now it seems that Google, the "Do-no-evil" search leader already facing a backlash for being too successful, is eliciting comparisons to Microsoft as it embarks on what looks like a similar roll-up strategy. Every new product it announces is touted as the next "[fill-in-the-blank]-killer." Will Internet museums document this stuff?

Roadkill Watch

Google's move: Offering search over cell phones, and maybe a new phone operating system.

Possible roadkill: Microsoft's CE software, Symbian, Sun's Java, Qualcomm's Brew system, Palm.

Google's move: Teaming with a Wi-Fi company, reportedly building its own fiber-optic network.

Possible roadkill: SBC, T-Mobile, Verizon, Earthlink, Time Warner's AOL, Comcast.

Google's move: Google Talk, an instant-messenger and Internet telephone service.

Possible roadkill: Vonage, AT&T CallVantage, Skype, AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo.

Google's move: Testing out banner and even print ads.

Possible roadkill: DoubleClick, Omnicom, Interpublic

Google's move: Combining satellite maps with local information.

Possible roadkill: Yellow Pages, Yahoo Local, OnStar, AOL's Mapquest.

Google's move: Gmail.

Possible roadkill: IBM's Lotus Notes; Microsoft's Outlook, Exchange and Hotmail.

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By David Whelan

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