In search of Google's x-files

For a company that endorses an entirely open strategy, embraces the free and collaborative Web, and shares the world's information freely, Google is remarkably cagey about its own plans.

I'm sure many journalists were excited to receive the invitation to Google SA's strategy briefing on Monday morning. I know I was, especially since I have been trying to get the company's local country manager to spill the beans about the company's plans since the end of last year.

But as excited as I was to get there, I was as disappointed on leaving. What a colossal waste of time. There are few things I honestly treasure. My family tops that list, friends come in a close second, but not much further down, is my time. I have little enough of it to go around and when companies waste it, it drives me nuts.

I think perhaps Google's strategy briefing would have been better suited to a different audience. Online media owners and Web developers would have gained more from the experience - I might as well have been at a sales pitch.

Country manager Stafford Masie was joined at the briefing by Dr Douglas Merrill, VP of engineering at Google, and it was apparent the Mountainview veteran had the country manager on a short leash. At a conference last year, Masie said a few things, which he subsequently retracted. It may be that the big guys at head office gave him a slap on the wrist for revealing the x-files on strategy.

Merrill's primary objective was to dodge the probing questions of enquiring tech journalists. I have to admit, he did it rather well, slipping in phrases like: "It is not useful to discuss this," or "We can't comment on that". I was really amused when Merrill decided to stick his hand in the air instead of responding to questions.

It was almost a stage show from a science fiction novel - all these people were gathered at a strategy briefing about non-strategy, and were expected to believe this was actually strategy. It was around the time when Merrill started to expound on the history of Google to a group of technology journalists - who probably have a copy of "The Google Story" on their coffee tables - that I wanted to say: "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

The entire thing was an exercise in futility. It was essentially an undisguised PR stunt to placate the many journalists who are trying to feed readers in SA info about what Google may be doing.

It was essentially an undisguised PR stunt to placate the many journalists who are trying to feed readers in SA info about what Google may be doing.

Candice Jones, journalist, ITWeb

So the strategy is as follows: Google wants to localise content. I feel like a broken record, as Google has wanted to localise content for an age. It's something it has been doing across the world for years.

Next, Google says the mobile phone will be an excellent channel to concentrate on in Africa. Surprise! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out any company would make a killing using the mobile platform in Africa, which is the platform with the biggest penetration.

The company has also hired a sales force. Who they are, how many there are, and exactly what they are doing is hidden somewhere inside that x-file. "The company does not reveal employee numbers."

Next... oh wait, that was about it. A two-hour briefing on these three morsels - already stale. What happened to infrastructure? What about solving SA's broadband problems? Oh right, Google didn't say that. No new products, no old products to be launched in SA.

So what it comes down to is that since Masie's appointment as country manager in September, Google has revealed nothing about what it plans to do. Take some heart though, because Google is "committed to lighting up SA".

Having said all that, I would like to point out to Google that strategy does not only involve the "what", but generally the when, how and who. Placation is not a good evasion strategy.