Chapter 96: Here comes the war

California, Google headquarters.
The two founders have a heavy face, and at the beginning of the new year, they received bad news.
According to statistics from the financial department, in the previous year, Google acquired three mobile phone companies in one breath and tried to enter the mobile phone industry, but suffered a historical defeat.
The four domestic giants have a huge momentum, and have launched many large-scale battles in the world, sweeping the global mobile phone market.
In the short period of just half a year, the sales volume of Apple's mobile phones plummeted by 53%, and Samsung's sales volume plummeted by 90%. Those who were beaten almost withdrew from the market.
From this we can see how tragic the global war in the mobile phone industry last year was.
Brand awareness and technical content, far less than Apple and Samsung ’s Google, are directly hit the abyss, and the mobile phone department has suffered huge losses, even losing its underpants.
At the same time, European antitrust rulings came out, and those die-hard Europeans gave Google a ticket worth € 4.34 billion.
Alas, this huge ticket is not a one-off.
If Google cannot meet the demanding requirements of European antitrust agencies within a short period of time, Europeans are likely to send them an antitrust investigation every year.
Crackling ~
Larry Page dropped the financial statements in his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We are in serious trouble now. Those Europeans with paler ages and Asians with yellow skin have made us passive."
而 "And we have a hot steak in front of us. If we want to get rid of the current predicament, it is best to eat this steak now."
Sergei Brin didn't say anything. Of course, the steak that Larry said refers to the Android system charge.
According to market research, it can be basically concluded now that Apple and Samsung, which betrayed Google, have been unable to turn around under the powerful attack of the Big Four.
The system used by the Big Four happened to be Google's Android.
Is it reasonable for Google to charge Android?
Is actually reasonable.
In 2012, Google reached an agreement with the Ministry of Commerce of China. The Ministry of Commerce agreed to Google's acquisition of Motorola. At the same time, Google promised not to charge Android for five years.
This is why domestic mobile phone manufacturers can always use Android for free.
如今 Until now, five years have passed. If Google charges Android, it is perfectly reasonable and there is no loophole in the legal field.
The only risk is the resistance of the domestic giants.
The Big Four are now too powerful, accounting for 80% of the world's total.
However, are Huaxia manufacturers really determined to resist?
Abandon the existing and mature Android without re-launching a set of operating systems with independent intellectual property rights. Everything starts from scratch?
Do they dare?
Sergei Brin has a fox-like smile on his face.
He is different from Larry Page. The offspring of the former Soviet immigrants have a clever brain. At the same time, his character is as cold as Siberian cold.
Business is bloody. Every giant stands up and steps on the bodies of countless opponents, and Google is no exception.
"At present, the global annual sales volume of smart phones is about 1.2 billion units, of which 1 billion units use our system. If each phone charges a $ 40 license fee, it will be a net income of $ 40 billion a year." Larry Pei Qi mumbled aside, he was used to thinking long before his partner made a decision.
Suddenly ~
Sergey Brin laughed. "Our problem has never been charging but time."
Larry Page's eyes suddenly flashed, "Time?"
"I used to study Huaxia for a long time," said Sergey Brin. "They have a strange tradition. No matter where they live now, there will always be only one home, and that is where they were born."
"Every Spring Festival, Chinese people will be like ants, from the city where they currently work, back to where they were born, no matter how far that place is, no matter how difficult the traffic is."
"And before the Spring Festival, everyone had no intention to work and looked forward to returning home early, although in my opinion, life after returning home is meaningless, even boring, and doing nothing at home, but this is their They have to go back anyway. "
Larry Page finally understood what Sergey Brin meant. The charges were definitely collected, but if the showdown suddenly occurred during the Spring Festival, those Chinese manufacturers would be caught by surprise.
The Spring Festival is the most favorable time for Google.
Uh ...
In the deep, a large invisible net is tightening.
Suddenly, news around the world about Google's upcoming charges disappeared.
两位 In an interview with the media, the two founders of Google Inc. changed their former style and never mentioned the Android charge.
I have created an illusion that the world has given up on charging.
At the same time, they were preparing intensively, waiting in silence for the most appropriate showdown time.
In the far east, there was a company that suddenly became silent, and that was Star Technology.
This new technology giant that made everyone crazy last year suddenly suddenly became less attractive.
Previously, there were rumors that they were going to enter the lithium battery industry and were also preparing to directly purchase the eighth largest lithium battery manufacturer in the world, which excited the technology community for a while.
However, without any reason, the acquisition was abruptly suspended, and the Ministry of Commerce on behalf of the company and the external contact, the entire staff withdrew the Baoshan base.
Throughout January, the only action of Xingchen Technology was that the optics department launched a camera-level COMS sensor and officially entered the digital camera and video camera field ~ EbookFREE.me ~ The partners are still the mobile phone giants, only Xiaomi was among them. Digital cameras, but with Huawei's acquisition of established domestic manufacturer Seagull, the Big Four have begun to get involved in this field.
As the quality of mobile phone photography is getting higher and higher, digital cameras and camcorders have become a niche market, so this matter has not caused much disturbance in the technology industry.
However, in the technology circle, there is another interesting rumor that has attracted everyone's interest.
It is said that Xingchen Technology has continuously launched operations in North America, and signed cooperation agreements with the two largest law firms in the United States, Kravas and Lipton.
If there is a legal dispute in North America in the future, there will be two largest agencies in the United States with full authority.
This news surprised people in the tech industry.
说 Do you think that Xingchen Technology has predicted that they will have big troubles in the United States in the future, so they have spared no expense and hired the most expensive and best lawyer team in the United States?
In short, more and more confusing news came, coupled with the quiet and suffocating atmosphere of the tech circle, some people in the circle began to doubt.
之中 Is there something going on in this terrible silence?
It's just that with the approach of the Spring Festival, major companies began to take holidays, and people gradually put their attention to the technology circle. In this busy year, people who want to go home make appointments with classmates and old friends in advance, and are ready to gather together during the Spring Festival. .
After all, no matter how turbulent the technology world is, life must continue.
The time flies, January has just passed, and the time has come to February 1. An explosive news comes suddenly, which instantly ignites the entire world.
九 At 9 am on February 1st, China time, Google officially announced that it would charge Android.