Why Google can dominate another market

So why are there new competitors to the throne of architectural CAD? There is definitely legacy, for sure in some of the big dogs - Autodesk, Bentley, Archicad. But, just as American automakers may soon get schooled by cross-disciplined tech startups in the Valley, is there a chance that diverse thinking or support may revolutionize traditional thinking? To point - currently trends in thinking, in a historically very conservative and legacy-driven application field, are causing a dramatic shakeup to the way projects are being delivered and tearing down walls between traditionally animosity-driven silos. And this is an industry that every year or two has went out and willingly upgraded to a 15 year old CAD package that was only slightly tweaked from release to release.

So what are the relative strengths? In the concept of database back-end, Google definitely has several strengths. Strong search functionalities, in-place server farms, and the fact that they already own SketchUp gives them a leg into the modeling arena. Abstracting this, why would they want to? A web-based interface with an intuitive modeling/building application, tied into their ambitious OS development in Android and advertising-based revenue stream would make a logical tie to a very flexible Google-driven open architecture virtual 3D web that could be cross-linked from PC to cell phone, potentially into gaming consoles, and give them the backbone to another entire evolution of the internet. Combine that with their vested interest in Apple with a potentially optimized Mac (or even OS non-specific architecture), and Apple-centric love of all designers and architects that have cursed for years the lack of a great CAD app for the G5's, and voila...a slice out of a nice little pie. Plus throw into that the revenue from ad-supported virtual internet, and the combined revenue from the CAD side of AEC, and potential startup investments in an entirely integrated ecosystem from scheduling, fabrication, and the visualization markets...how could they not??

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