Background
The article “Google” details the rise of Google Incorporated which is considered a pioneering company in the realm of online search algorithms and Internet advertising. The content focuses on detailing the history of the company, its array of products and services as well as the corporate culture that exists within its various facilities.
History
Under the history section, the article states that the company was created in 1996 through the entrepreneurial attempts of Larry Page and Sergey Brin as a way to improve on the search engines that existed at the time. It was initially established in Stanford, California, and then subsequently expanded into numerous global facilities over the years. On September 15, 1997, both entrepreneurs created a relatively stable search engine that they registered under the domain name which became eponymous for the website Google.com. By May 2011, Google’s traffic had grown to nearly one billion unique visitors to the site per day, generating nearly $38 billion from advertising revenue and other similar products.
Products and Services
Under this section, the article details the various products from which the company derives its current revenue. These consist of online advertising, web-based email and office tools (i.e. Google Docs) as well as its custom search engine.
The article states that the online tools and products sold through Google’s enterprise market systems were developed “in-house” (i.e. through the company’s own technical teams), however, some products such as Google Docs were acquired through purchasing other companies and integrating them into Google’s operational framework.
Corporate Affairs and Culture
Under the section detailing the company’s internal culture, it is shown that at the present, Google has 47,756 employees. This section also reveals the various steps the company took towards attracting and retaining talent. It details the various amenities, such as free food, games, recreational activities, massages as well as an assortment of other entertainments, that are normally not seen in other major corporations. The reason why Google has consistently remained a top online company is that it retains talented individuals for special projects that manifest their capabilities in popular products, such as the Android system, resulting in a larger number of users. Gmail (Google’s online email service) was one of such products that came about through the company’s special project system.
Revenue and Income
It was noted that by 2013, the company had made $59,825 billion in revenue and owned assets totaling in $110.92 billion. Aside from this, the company has numerous subsidiaries; the largest one is YouTube.com which is ranked among the top websites that are visited by the global Internet population. Its 2013 operating income based on all its operations was calculated at $12.92 billion.
Miscellaneous Content
Apart from the main sections that have been mentioned, there are other sections that detail the company’s operational style. The first one is the environmental problems related to Google’s energy consumption which amounts to 260 million watts per year, a considerable amount when taking into consideration the fact that it is just one company. Other details mentioned come in the form of the tax avoidance controversy surrounding the company wherein through creative licensing, outsourcing, and subsidiaries, the company has avoided paying taxes in its major markets. Nevertheless, the company was ranked 5th in the U.S. in relation to the amount it spent on lobbying in 2013 for laws involving taxes and Internet freedoms.