

Google to steal apple's thunder with their own map event on June 6th - salimmadjd
http://9to5mac.com/2012/06/01/google-to-hold-maps-event-ahead-of-apples-switchover-at-wwdc/

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ChuckMcM
I really really hope this isn't a 'preview announcement' along the lines of
what Microsoft used to do. For those of you who don't remember, there was a
time when companies would innovate some product or service and that would get
some traction with the market. Then Microsoft would jump in and say "Oh, we've
been working on <x> for years and its almost here!" and then they would layout
a product or service that was remarkably similar to the startups product
except that it came from Microsoft instead of some 'unknown.' This tactic was
designed to delay customers from adopting the technology from the new company
until Microsoft could come up with an equivalent.

It has always been a perfectly valid marketing tactic. I consider it the 'U'
in FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt). And it works well for a while. But history
tells us that once a company starts employing it, it suggests that their
ability to innovate in their markets has dropped behind smaller, more nimble
companies. And that generally means the company has reached the end of their
'free' growth.

As an investor, I adjust my expectations on the company to grow modestly, or
through acquisitions. As an employee (well at least when I was Sun this was
true) I'd expect to see more and more 'cool' things that happen elsewhere per
Christian's Innovator's Dilemma.

