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The IT Strategy That Makes Google Work

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the lots-of-gnomes dept.

savio13 writes "InfoWeek published an article on Google's IT Strategy, which can be summarized as: 'Use customized open source where possible, custom build where necessary , and buy if it's not related to something that will give Google a competitive advantage.' The author interviewed several senior IT folks at Google and the article is surprisingly thorough considering how closely Google guards information about their actual IT environment." From the article: "Google managers tend to be reticent on the subject of IT strategy, they're loath to talk about specific vendors or products, and they clam up when asked about their servers and data centers. But a day spent with some of the company's IT leaders reveals there's more to Google's IT operations than a search engine running on a massive server farm. Behind the seeming simplicity is a mash-up of internally developed software, made-to-order hardware, artificial intelligence, obsession with performance, and an unorthodox approach to people management."

5 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why isn't google releasing their modifications? by Senes · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, if only Google had some sort of project devoted to open-source development.

  2. Google didn't create Google Earth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sorry to spoil your paen to Google, but Google did not actually develop Google Earth. That was done by Keyhole, Inc. (in the guise of their Earth Viewer application), who Google acquired.

    However, credit can be given to Google in this case for recognizing when someone else is looking at old problems in new and innovative ways, and adapting their approach.

  3. I Should Have Paid to RTFA by BoRegardless · · Score: 4, Informative

    Anyone who reads all 5 pages of that article is going to learn more than just one new valuable thing.

  4. Re:NIH is a killer. by jemecki · · Score: 5, Informative

    I agree with your point. However, just to nitpick, your concept of NIH is reversed. NIH means to *refuse* to use concepts/tools that were "not invented here." In other words, companies that take the NIH approach would prefer in-house solutions to 3rd-party ones, not the other way around. So your argument is actually in support of NIH, not against it. wiki link

  5. Re:Appliance by Buzz_Litebeer · · Score: 3, Informative

    Are you certain they forgot? Or perhaps you are talking about something other than

    http://code.google.com/mirror/gsa.html

    which is the code they use on their search appliances that they are required to release.

    But, you know, that might have been an oversite on your part?

    --
    If you don't vote, you don't matter, so don't waste your time telling me your opinion