Happy Birthday, Chrome; Now Get To Work!

A year ago, Google surprised the industry with its Chrome browser. Even the announcement was innovative, using a comic book to have the Chrome crew describe the design and goals of the new browser. Some recent news seems to indicate that Google is ready to put Chrome to work in an area that's critical to the company's future.Over the past year, Chrome has made only small gains in browser market share. Right now Chrome is wedged between Opera and Safari, with fewer than three percent of users choosing their browser. Chrome not only lacks a user base, but it doesn't yet have a convenient way for outside developers to add the toolbars and other plugins that make Firefox such a popular platform.

If Google's goal was to build a popular browser, they have failed so far. But I don't think that was the goal at all. Browser market share isn't a benchmark that matters much to Google; they want people to use their sites and services instead. Google's recent deal with Sony isn't important for Sony choosing Chrome, but for ensuring that Google's search and services are the out-of-box default for Sony PC users.

On platforms where there isn't a browser that Google feels is up to their needs, Chrome is their insurance to make sure that Google's services can perform. It's unlikely that Chrome will ever grab a large share of the browser market for Windows desktop users, who are already served by plenty of well-established choices. Prospects are better on Linux and mobile devices, which don't have the same great selection of browsers. That is why Google is building ChromeOS, not because they want to be in the OS business but because they want ultramobile devices to use Google services.