The software maker jeers at biggest search engine company–“What happens when the world’s largest advertising firm attempts to sell productivity software on the side?”
In response to what is undoubtedly increased pressure from Google’s cloud-based productivity suite, Microsoft has launched an all-out assault on Google in the video, entitled “Googlighting” from Microsoft’s Office 365 unit, which portrays the Google Apps productivity suite in human form as “Googen Apperson.”
The video depicts an over-confident slimy salesman clad in a white suit and a multi-colored tie reminiscent of the Google logo. He arrives an hour late to his appointment and tries to convince a Cybill Shepherd type to use the company’s cloud collaboration software.
“Wait, you want us to be your guinea rats?” inquires skeptical Cybill. “Pioneers,” interjects the Bruce Willis wannabe.
The Apperson has 12 years of advertising experience, but is meeting with an executive to sell her company Google productivity software. The executive bombards with hordes of tough questions and Apperson squirms in his chair, unable to answer most of them. “Beware the Googlighting Stranger.”
In her course of conversation the executive then attacks features Microsoft considers to be lacking in Google Apps, from spell check and sufficient offline access to frequent software updates.
“I could come to work and the software could be different than the day before?” the female exec asks. “Different, better, completely gone, who knows what the future holds for Google Apps?” the Google employee responds.
According to Microsoft, Google’s productivity suite is a joke–a miserable side project where Google moonlights in its downtime and uses unwitting corporations as guinea pigs–and businesses would be crazy to play Google’s game.
“Google Apps is an ever-changing solution with experimental features that can increase complexity and the need for change management and training,” Microsoft wrote on its Why Microsoft site.
“When your business needs help, Google Apps support falls short of delivering the kind and level of support you demand.” So what exactly does your business need to thrive? Microsoft is glad you asked: “Your organization has diverse needs.”
Hence, without referring it by name, the video is trying to attract businesses to Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based productivity software. Office 365 offers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Exchange, and SharePoint to the cloud and aims to make collaboration for teams easy. With Microsoft, you can deliver the right set of tools for the right users–all with appropriate layers of security and compliance technologies.
While the salesperson is busy convincing the executive, a singer then emerges from the corner to suggest that Google’s recent house-cleaning efforts might ultimately result in the demise of Google Apps. The search giant killed off Gears, Wave, and Buzz–why not Google Apps? “If Google Apps meets its grave, your business is hosed,” the singer croons.
“Beware the Googlighting Stranger,” the ad ends. You can watch Microsoft’s no holds barred anti-Google Apps video below:
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