Check Google out. After a lame attempt to mimic Facebook and then claim that their social network is completely different in it’s purpose (Yeah right), Google sticks one right into their direct competitor’s ribs – Microsoft.
When big G tried to snatch Facebook’s glory and social activity after Facebook has been successful in it for 7 years (launched 2004 vs Google+ launched 2011) the leading thought was: Why would anyone switch his social activity? Why maintain two accounts, especially when the first one is performing pretty well and carrying so much information about the user for years. Hard to detach.
In this case, Google steps in fast into a market that has hardly been tapped yet – social enterprise, after Microsoft bought Yammer for $1.2 billion dollar (Bubble anyone?) big G releases their social Enterprise solution FOR FREE! (throughout 2013).
Any company, small or big, which is probably already integrated with Google this way or the
other would and should be tempted to try the new solution. Google’s agility and comprehension
of the corporate/enterprise structure makes their solution more attractive than anything out there
today.
As always, time will tell who will have the better share of the market, but unlike the Facebook
case, this one looks promising for good ol’ Google (Finally!)
3 Responses to Google Killing Yammer?
Brittany September 4, 2012
Yammer is FREE indefinitely. Currently, you never need to pay to use Yammer (unless you want to upgrade, but this is not required). This article makes it sound like Google is doing something revolutionary here…
Max September 12, 2012
Yammer is free, for now.
It’s also free until you want to make sure that your data isn’t accessible by former employees, then you have to pay.
Agreed, the article makes it sound like there isn’t an existing social business space with players like IBM, Jive, Salesforce…