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While Google Fights Zoom, Microsoft Stays on the Sidelines
Microsoft has been strangely absent from the battle to win over new video chat users
With Zoom saddled by latent cybersecurity and privacy weaknesses, Google recognized an opportunity to accelerate into a new leadership position in the videoconferencing market. It quickly used its software engineering might to mirror Zoom’s capabilities and made Google Meet available to all free Gmail subscribers beginning in May. But where’s Microsoft in all of this? It’s conspicuously missing from the front lines despite already having a strong competitive videoconferencing product in Microsoft Teams, its workplace communication and management platform. Prioritizing enterprise needs over consumer accessibility is consistent with Microsoft’s business-centric approach under CEO Satya Nadella, but ceding the videoconferencing market leadership to Google may prove to be a weakness.
Allowing Google to lead the battle against Zoom
Having confused its users for years with a frequently changing catalog of video chat apps and products, Google was unprepared as users turned to Zoom to stay connected during the pandemic rather than leverage competing services already available within Google’s portfolio. But it immediately went on the…
