Google 2007 Annual Report Download - page 26

integration with advanced corporate security protocols, integration with other enterprise applications, such as content
management systems, portals and other systems, and real-time search of business applications. The Google Search
Appliance is available in three models: the GB-1001, for mid-sized companies; the GB-5005, for dedicated, high-priority
search services such as customer-facing web sites and company-wide intranet applications; and the GB-8008, for
centralized deployments supporting global business units.
Google Apps. Google Apps provides hosted communication and collaboration tools for organizations such as small
businesses, enterprises, schools, and groups. Google Apps includes communication features such as Gmail, Google
Calendar, and Google Talk and collaboration features such as Google Docs. It is available on an organization’s own
domain. Google Apps is available in Standard and Premier Editions, with the Premier Edition providing security and
compliance features allowing administrators to implement rules for how messages are handled, as well as search for and
recover deleted mail across their domain.
For companies, universities and government agencies, Google also offers the Google Toolbar for Enterprise and
Google Desktop for Enterprise. Google Toolbar gives employees a search box in the browser and the ability to create
custom search buttons. Google Desktop for Enterprise indexes the contents of a user’s hard drive for easy search and
retrieval of documents, email, IM chats and other items. Google Earth’s Enterprise offerings let business users view,
modify and export their data in a geographic context. Google Earth Pro, a downloadable application with pricing starting
at $400 per user, lets users overlay company-specific data and information in Google Earth. Google Earth Enterprise lets
users integrate and host proprietary geographic data or satellite imagery with Google Earth content.
Sales and Support
We have put significant effort into developing our sales and support infrastructure. We have over 60 offices in over 20
countries, the large majority of which include sales people. We deploy specialized sales teams across 11 vertical markets.
We bring businesses into our advertising network through both online and direct sales channels. We work to use
technology and automation wherever possible to improve the experience for our advertisers and to grow our business
cost-effectively. The vast majority of our advertisers use our automated online AdWords program to establish accounts,
create ads, target users and launch and manage their advertising campaigns. Our direct advertising sales team focuses on
attracting and supporting companies around the world with the largest advertising budgets. Our AdSense program follows
a similar model. Most of the web sites in the Google Network sign up for AdSense using an automated online process. Our
direct sales force focuses on building AdSense relationships with leading internet companies. Our global support
organization concentrates on helping our advertisers and Google Network members get the most out of their
relationships with us.
Marketing
We have always believed that building a trusted, highly-recognized brand begins with providing high-quality
products and services that make a notable difference in people’s lives. Our user base has grown primarily by
word-of-mouth. Our early marketing efforts focused on feeding this word-of-mouth momentum and used public relations
efforts to accelerate it. Through these efforts and people’s increased usage of Google worldwide, we have been able to
build our brand with relatively low marketing costs as a percentage of our revenues. Today, we use the quality of our own
products and services as our most effective marketing tool, and word-of-mouth momentum continues to drive consumer
awareness and user loyalty worldwide. We also engage in targeted marketing efforts, such as those we deliver to our
advertising clients, designed to inform potential advertisers, Google Network members and enterprises of the benefits
they can achieve through Google—as well as targeted consumer marketing in certain geographies. In addition, we sponsor
industry conferences and have promoted the distribution of Google products to internet users in order to make our search
services easier to access.
Competition
We operate in a market that is characterized by rapid change and converging, as well as new and disruptive,
technologies and we face formidable competition in every aspect of our business, particularly from companies that seek to
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