OPINION: Google’s new internet browser launch takes the software giant a step closer to world domination.

Sep 18 2008 by Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Daily Post

GOOGLE is on track to take a big bite out of the browser market by launching Chrome.

Within a day of launch, Google Chrome had secured three per cent of the global market share. It has some way to go before it makes a mark on Microsoft’s 70% stake, but initial signs are good and the debate over whether avid Internet Explorer fans will jump ship is under way.

The reality is that, while Chrome excels in comparison to other browsers, including Safari and Firefox, it has a lot in common with Internet Explorer 8 – launched a week earlier – and, in some areas, Google looks like a poor relation.

The biggest advantage to the new browser technology is that, if one tab crashes, others will keep chugging along.

Google entering the browser market is another step towards changing the public perception from a cuddly brand run by hippies to a global software giant hell bent on world domination – like Microsoft.

Google Chrome strips away the final veil of secrecy. Search tells Google what to look for, Analytics tells Google where you are, Gmail tells Google what to do, Adsense shows you Google advertising, and Chrome ties all of this together.

Chrome is not without its faults – Google admit “there is room for improvement” – but it is a test version and its true effectiveness depends on how usable it is when fully released.

Perhaps the biggest question is which of the two super brands will win? Chrome presents opportunities to marketers and leaves me wondering about how long it will take Google to place ad slots “off the page” and “in the browser” – like putting a video billboard on top of your TV.

CRAIG JOHNSON is commercial director at digital agency Rippleffect.