U.S. Corporations in Hardware and Software Competition and Cloud platforms

Wi-Fi connected cities will exist in most parts of 50 states in a near future. U.S. fiber cable companies used to lay down overcapacity networks in the late of 1990s and the early of 2000s under the boom of e-commerce and internet services. Mobile and Wi-Fi technologies have been embedded into household appliances and personal handheld devices to allow users to access to internet or broadband connections at faster speed with more content quality and multitasking applications. Users can do different tasks – movie download, movie-watching, word-typing, interactive-news-reading and others. Google Fiber is a pilot project in Kansas City covering wireless or Wi-Fi high-speed internet services to residents. Google offers with three package prices – Gigabit + TV at $120/month, Gigabit Internet $70/month, and Free Internet $300 one-time construction fee. Google Fiber will change both TV cable and Internet service markets in coming years.

Chromebook is another challenge of combining a hardware maker and software developer into one-stop service company or directly competing with Apple – Apple designs a computer and installs with its exclusive iOS. U.S. market has transformed gradually since U.S. consumer electric makers disappeared to accept better design and quality products from Japan. Now, Google, Microsoft and Apple have reshaped U.S. markets of software and hardware with new business development platforms and concepts. Those multinational corporations have grown by acquiring hardware and software companies in different business areas, Google has acquired Keyhole Inc (Earth Viewer, then renamed to Google Earth), YouTube (Social Media – Video), DoubleClick (advertisement), GrandCentral (Google Voice), Motorola Mobility (Mobile phone, network devices and chips), and Android Inc; comparison to Microsoft, it has acquired many companies such as Onfolio (online research tool), Lionhead Studio (video game developer), Massive Incorporated (advertising company), ProClarity (Business Intelligence), Winternals (software utilities), Colloquis (Conversation-based agents), Skype (voice-over-internet-protocol service and software development), aQuantive (advertising company), Fast Search & Transfer (data search technologies), and Visio (diagram software application). Microsoft has also diversified its business lines into video game consoler with Xbox and personal media devices. It has also competed with Google’s Android and Apple’s iOs by introducing Window Mobile version. When labor cost is a real matter, U.S. corporations have to turn on their switches to other high-capital-intensive values of developing new products and services that produce higher marginal profits.

Cloud communities may become global application stores that sell applications designed and developed by engineers and developers worldwide. Security, compatibility and other safe information protection are among requirements and standards for consumers to buy those apps. Cloud communities can provide more free services and learning tools to improve knowledge and skills as well as other business practices among nations. English and other popular languages are used over those platforms. Android and other open software development platforms can benefit from cloud communities.