A Case Study: Google

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A Case Study: Google

Google is the best-known technological industry for its advertising tools and search engines. As

indicated in their yearly report, Google's philosophy is to inaugurate advanced products then develop to

make them better. (Brandon, 2016). The technology of Google utilizes collective web-based intelligence

to determine the importance of pages. The industry has no human manipulation or involvement in the

outcomes. Its intelligence has made users trust Google products and services as the origin of objective

information undamaged by paid placement. The company manipulates the massive amount of data

centers worldwide. Google Technological Company anticipates managing a vast number of servers

shortly due to the increasing demand for services to handle global servers.

Unifying the world's information and creating it collectively available and valuable is the mission

statement of Google. The company's vision statement is to provide essential services globally to deliver

appropriate information virtually on any topic instantly. The served information becomes useful when

transformed into knowledge. Google's corporate structure reflects that it has been a media company due

to its dual-class stock structure, reflecting other media organizations' design. Google's innovations do not

stop at bringing its speedy and accurate results on the web for the users to access their services through

portable devices such as the desktop. The paper focuses on providing an outline and case study

assessment of five recently researched technologies and advanced by Google. According to Brandon

(2016), the technologies of Google currently in research and advancement incorporate Self-Driving

Automobile, Smart Contact Lenses, Google Fiber, Project Wing, Project Loon, Home Automation and

Smart Thermostats (Google Nest), Google Glass, etc.

Self-Driving Automobile

The self-driving automobile is a vehicle that is automated to steer from one point to another on its

own (Brando, 2016). Just as its name implies, the car does not require to be operated by a human driver.

It is a Google technology that depends on software and sensors to perform themselves. The self-driving

automobile vehicle uses the battery as its propulsion system. The GPS communicates with the computer

system and uses maps as essential tools for navigation. Self-driving automobiles have a sophisticated

system that enables it to predict object movements and decide what to do.
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As with numerous technologies, the implementation of new technologies does not fail to

encounter particular challenges. The critics of self-driving automobile technology focus on the issue of

complex morality. Notably, Google faces challenges on the ability of the car to make moral decisions. The

explored scenario by the author of the Computer World article proposed a situation assessment in which

the vehicles had to make decisions. The car's momentary decisions between killing an individual in its

proximity, the driver alone, or the crowd of people. Google's self-driving automobile vehicle system does

not have a moral algorithm (D'Allegro, 2020). The technology may also respond to its programming, but it

may fail to occur if a particular behavior is not programmed.

The Google technology project of self-driving automobiles has a determined set of objectives.

The company's goals comprise increasing the vehicle's uses from 10% and 75% and minimizing the

number of cars on the roads by fomenting cars' sharing. It also focuses on creating car opportunities to

estimate around 87 billion dollars to manufacturers and developers (Brandon, 2016). In the coming years,

Google is focusing on overcoming its challenges through acquiring a well-integrated system. The

company aims at licensing their software to the vehicle manufacturers to get well into the car

manufacturing business on a grand scale. The information system used in the managers' self-driving

vehicles will depend on the car's research and technical ability to collect, store, and analyze data. Vast

amounts of data on the vehicle sensors will be required to develop intelligent autonomy and improve the

vehicle's driving accuracy and performance by converting data into algorithms.

My response to "The Moral Case for Self-Driving Cars" is that there will be a moral authority in

replacing human-driven cars with safer self-driving automobiles. Autonomous vehicles could contribute

much to economic and societal benefits when they fully deploy. Even if computer-driven cars only

eliminate accidents caused by the drivers' error and behavior, they can save many lives. They will also

contribute to minimizing traffic congestion due to reduced accidents. Self-driving automobiles will allow for

a much smoother flow of traffic. They will also save on the parking spaces since smaller spaces can

accommodate many vehicles. The intersections and the mergers will no longer produce an accordion

effect.
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Self-driving automobiles will be much safer compared to human-driven vehicles (Brandon, 2016).

Most road accidents occur due to destructions and errors prone to human. However, some experts raised

concerns about the possibility of autonomous vehicles having the unintended effect of letting more cars

on the road, thus, increasing congestion. The independent vehicle testing conducted by companies has

indicated increased safety of this technology. It, therefore, implies that the world is at the forefront of new

and exciting frontiers. Perhaps, the computer driving vehicles will bring into reality hands-free driving and

unleash innovations and economic development on a higher notch. It is an inspiring innovation that the

world should embrace to eliminate the roads' challenges in the past years. The potential opportunity for

this innovation is as noteworthy as the challenge of responding to it.

Renewable Energy and Sustainability Solutions

Most companies in the world are large consumers of energy. In recent years, numerous

technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple have made efforts to lead the market on

clean and renewable energies (Markberniker, 2017). However, Google has been the most aggressive

company. The company made efforts to make wind and solar investments. The project in which Google

invested around one billion dollars was able to globally generate around two gigawatts of energy. The

number of similar projects increased, making Google the leading consumer of clean, renewable energy

worldwide.

The company makes long term financial agreement contracts with wind organizations. The

agreement enables the company to enter into power purchases to acquire clean power. The technique of

Google is similar to how utilities manage power. However, Google Technological Company is also

innovating clean energy by applying renewable energies to its product lines.

Google's renewable energies generate energy with no green gas emissions, thus, reducing some

forms of air pollution that are mostly experienced by fossil fuels (Markberniker, 2017). The technology has

also diversified the supply of energy, creating job opportunities for installing and manufacturing, and

developing the economy. However, implementing technology requires higher costs. Unpredictable

weather conditions can disrupt technologies. Fossil fuels are not available throughout the season

because they are not intermittent and might be switched on or off at any time. When it comes to
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renewable energy, its benefits outweigh the drawbacks. It is easier to go green by installing solar panels.

Making transitions to renewable energy will help save money, promoting cleaner and healthier

surroundings for the future.

The urgent global technology is to tackle the issue of climate change. The efforts of Google in

sustainability initiatives have promoted the growth and creation of opportunities in the private sector. The

industry has helped the company minimize the negative impacts on the environment (Lozanova, 2016).

The technology has enabled the building of healthy workplaces and creating a breathable dashboard in

the background. However, depending on natural resources uncontrollable by human beings, the

generation of power is the biggest challenge encountered by google in implementing renewable energy

and sustainability. For instance, wind energy depends on wind availability, while solar-powered electricity

is only possible with sunshine availability. The implementation of renewable energy by Google is

problematic due to uncertainty in energy production in this kind of technology. The possible way of

dealing with these barriers is to gather more information about the availability of resources needed to

facilitate this project's success.

The environmental impact of renewable energy, such as solar power, can comprise land use,

water use, habitat loss, and unsafe manufacturing materials. However, the consequences vary depending

on the system of scale and the used technology. The crucial issue for corporations is the management of

sustainable energy. Implementation of this technology will help the company managers strike the right

balance between the organization's financial deliberations and the technology's impact on the planet and

people. The managers will play a significant role in maximizing profitability and minimizing the

environmental impact of the company.

Google Glass

Google Glass is a voice-controlled wearable android device that bears a resemblance to a pair of

eyeglasses (Rouse, 2019). Google Glass displays information directly in the field vision of its users. It also

an experience of augmented authenticity to the user through a combination of audio, visual, and feedback

based on the actual location. The individual using Google Glass gets alert about the gate's geographical
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location immediately after arriving at the airport and getting instant information on the flight status (Rouse,

2019).

After the release of Google Glass, its popularity and hype reached frantic levels in early 2014.

The Times Magazine awarded Google Glass as the best invention of the year. Therefore, getting featured

in a 12-page Vogue magazine articles. In 2015, Google announced Glass's introduction to exploring the

program, making a big surprise to its users (Rouse, 2019). The company experienced an internal split at

its X laboratory. One group involved believed that the glass explorer program was ready for release into

the market, while others felt that it needed some improvements. A group of users comprising of journalists

and technical experts was selected to facilitate the Google Glass release under the controlled model

referred to as the Google Glass explorer. Later, the product needed adjustments by basing on the

feedback of the users. The uncertainty about the release of Google Glass was a challenge that Googles

Technological Company faced. The nature of exclusivity added to the excitement and curiosity of media

and retail outlets. This put the company under the intense pressure of releasing a product that was well

known for not being ready to enter the market.

Upon releasing the product, the users' review criticized it based on the unacceptable quantity of

bugs and short battery life. The Google Glass products got banned from bars, movie theatres, casinos,

and places where the surreptitious recording was intolerable due to the product's privacy issue that had

some throwbacks. The Google Glass product has not been entirely out of the Google list, even after going

out of the market. Ivy Ross, the individual in charge of Google's smart eyewear division, and Tony Fidel,

the former executive of Apple who created Nest, are now the Google Glass project designers. As

revealed by Google Insiders, the new leadership vowed to redesign the products (Bilton, 2015). However,

its release will only take place after the project has reached its completion. The developers aim to provide

the best product to its consumers to strengthen their trust and reputation.

Wearing Google Glasses could be dangerous. Google Glass may not be the solution to making

our lives better. Google company warned its users that wearing glasses may negatively impact well-being

(Bilton, 2015). The Glass allows people to use it without the fear of health issues since it makes life

easier. It is designed for the users to view the environment instead of staring at the smartphone screen.
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Google Glass designers made it always connected to the web, and it is often ready for the user's

commands. Like wearing regular glasses, it is advisable to consult the doctor because glass users may

experience eye strain or headache when using the device (Bilton, 2015). It may also curtail the natural

peripheral vision of the user.

Recently, Google Glass was banned by the movie industry from being permitted inside the

theaters. Most people are skeptical of the Google Glass wearers due to the potential of being recorded

without their knowledge. It is no doubt that Google Glass will be more beneficial to the company

managers and their business. However, this technology may amplify several challenges for managers.

They may encounter productivity loss as managers may focus on their Google Glass piece but not their

work.

Project Wing

Project Wing is the drone-based conveyance scheme of Google technology company. Google

reported that it had granted a patent for the receptacles delivery that utilizes the beacons of infrared to

direct the drones' way (Sepler, 2017). As described in the patent, the functioning idea uses the ground

robots alerted before the set delivery and accordingly arrange themselves in receiving the package. The

receptacle guides the drone through communication made with the infrared beacons. Subsequently, the

drone then lowers the parcel to be sent down to the robot on the ground. The ground robots then take the

package to the desired destination as programmed.

The drone delivery system intends to be rolled out by Alphabet, the Google parent company.

However, the program faces competition from Amazon. Amazon seems to be working on the plan

referred to as the Amazon Prime Air, a similar system conducted by Google (Sepler,2017). However,

there have been no date mentions of the project completion.

The governing regulations was one of the challenges faced by Google's program in the offset.

However, when the United States' Federal Aviation Administration announced finalizing the usual

commercial rules for the first operation of drone use, the issue partially ceased to be a challenge

(Duquette, 2016). The jurisdiction and alignment regulations were the next principle challenge faced by

Google technological company in executing the Project Wing Program. The new federal guidelines
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released by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fact sheet clarified how the local government might

regulate drone use in their jurisdictions (Sepler, 2016). The defined regulations included using police

power to control the use of drones in their jurisdictions, retaining the authority by the local authority in

regulating the use of drones in their jurisdictions, and prosecuting drone operators violating the local

guidelines; nuisance, privacy, and so on.

The federal government retained regulatory authority, which cannot be overridden by the local

governments. For most sections, the regulations are related to safety, and they entail; flight paths and

altitude restrictions, laws of registration, equipment requirements, and drone operational training

concerns. The local regulations should not hinder the plan of Google to release the project wing

(Duquette, 2016). The worst-case scenario is that Google will most likely implement operations based on

the jurisdictions' piecemeal as the regulations' guidelines are cast and made clear.

Several people described Project Wing as an inherently dangerous technology. The

environmental experts have wildlife concerns because of the drones. The drones do not meet regulations

that may ease the residents' safety, privacy, and noise concerns. However, Google technology can

improve by making drones invincible. The recognizable nature of Project Wing as the best leading in

aerial robots or autonomous drones will help managers in enhancing the operations of their business

activities. Coupled with artificial intelligence, the Project Wing can significantly help managers effectively

improve yards and inventory checks in their warehouses. In one way or another, Project Wing can be

applied in the business environment if the entire point is not to increase the operations' workload. Most

managers are willing to ease their work by pressing the button and watching the robots work for them.

Home Automation and Smart Thermostats (Google Nest)

Google acquired the Nest corporation intending to intensify its existence in the home automation

and smart thermostats market (Olson, 2016). It aimed to strategize on competing with Apple organization.

Google detailed in its 10-k filing that the Nest's undertaking was to reinvent home gadgets such as fire

detection, HVAC controls, and others (Olson, 2016). The company is currently engaged in selling the

home monitoring video camera, smoke detectors, and thermostats. Home automation and smart
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thermostats can control air conditioning, heating, and ventilation. They can be used to save money used

on energy bills in homes.

Primarily, the model of the Nest company focused on leading the smart home market in the

section of communication integration with other devices like smartphones. This implies that smartphones

and office computers would control home alarms and sensors with other devices remotely. Nest lost

around 500 employees and failed to release any new products since the acquisition (Bergen, 2016). For

instance, Nest's blunders are acquiring the Revolv company to capitalize on the hub of its devices that

would enable control of a broad range of devices using the smartphone app. However, the company

shortly shut down the internet services responsible for powering the devices, thus, rendering them

useless.

The initial investment is the major drawback of Google Nest. However, its energy-saving adds up

faster. The technology tracks energy usage and gives daily and monthly reports for its users. Nest has a

higher price tag; it does not have a precise temperature. However, it is efficient in saving and integrating

into daily life. Privacy is the considerable concern of Google Nest with smart home devices more than any

other modern device. Homeowners can customize their system accordingly due to much flexibility among

the intelligent home vendors and gadget makers.

The future of Nest in with Google is highly uncertain since the company has been

underperforming from its initial operations. In the last fiscal year, the company's revenue sales, which

most account is the respected figure in its organization, were almost 340 million dollars (Bergen, 2016).

However, the model falls lower than Google's expectations, which conducted the largest procurement of

3.2 billion dollars to date. Google Nest products are best for home use. However, they can be beneficial

to small businesses with some exemptions. Company managers can set up Home Automation and Smart

Thermostats in workplaces, particularly in offices with a compatible cooling system or heating system.

Eco Temperatures of Google Nest can help in energy saving even though it has often been difficult to

save energy in business places. This will enable managers to generate additional profits for their

companies. The Nest App can also be used by managers to monitor their businesses. For instance, the

Nest app can check whether the store is warm enough while someone is not around to check on them.
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This will enable temperature change in stores when needed. Using Google Nest is secure for businesses.

However, its application to commercial use in the security system is not certified; thus, Google Nest might

not be the best in business operations.

Conclusion

Google is a technology company whose core activities incorporate search engines and online

advertisements. Likewise, the company deals with software, hardware, and operating system products.

The organization has collaborated with several technological organizations to provide an essential wide

range of services and products to its worldwide consumers.

The featured Google technology products captured in this paper accurately address this debate.

Still, the success of renewable energy programs under Google demonstrates the lofty commercial

objectives that can co-occur with the environment's sound practices. However, other ethical

considerations, including the privacy problem presented by the google technologies, for instance, Project

Wing and Google Glass, support the opinion that much of the technological innovations do not align with

the interests and fundamental civil rights. The fact remains that designs will not go away regardless of the

side that one supports.

 References

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