Should Google Cloud build or buy a visualization tool like Looker?

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Should Google Cloud build or buy a visualization tool like Looker?

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vparam · Answer 1 · 2024-06-03T07:21:36+0000

Clarification:
- Looker was bought by Google in 2020. The assumption int his question is we are pre-2020 or that Google has not yet acquired looker - Let us go with the assumption that looker as not yet been acquired.
- We also assume that there is no analytical tool or very rudimentary tool is available as part of google offering and the decision is now to build or buy - Yes

SWAT Analysis of Looker

Questions to answer why should Goolge buy looker

Is this strategic to Google cloud offering
What extra value does it bring to Google customers
How does it differentiate/provide competative advantage vs our compete
What if any new opporunities
Can Google continue to develop and maintain if we buy. Does it ensure simplicity
does it ensure us going to market the fastest
what is the cost assessment

Strengths	Weakness
Complements Goolge approach to support multi-cloud/ multi-database management ecosystem End user self service analytics tooling that could support enterprise needs Looker is considered as a string player in subscriber model companies especially in gaming industry. Aquisition would allow Goolge advantage to those types of business to adopt Google cloud Deeper penentration or better access to Enteperise customers where Goolge is in far 3rd place Looker supports a SQL like modeling and the APIs are straighforward for Goolge to integrate into its offering and support in future It does allow fast to market as it is an existing product with large number of adopters and considered a compete for Microsoft Power BI	Migration capabilities from compete platform is limited or does not exist Does not support hybrid model
Assumptions	Threats
It will open new opporunities vis that current looker customer base might consider Google cloud as the primary or alternate cloud solution Integration/ standarization of tools between the two companies would seamless It will address the analytical needs that Google thinks is of real value for their customers utlizing their cloud fo data management and governance	Current cloud competes already have solutions and the lack to acquire a company like looker may push goolge to be less competative Building could take longer and pull resources from other strategic investment

SWAT analysis for Build
- Same questions
- Strenghts
  - Will be aligned to Google core values as the product will be designed and built with Google goals
  - it will be bring value to existing customers
- Weakness
  - take longer to go to market leaving the current players with a huge time advantage
  - enterprise customers might not want to change unless there is a game changer or very less TCO to move to Goolge built solution
  - Building might be costly especially the initial version might also need migration capaibilities as Google will not get off the self enterprise customers easily
- Assumption
  - existing teams will be able to prioritize the work and deliver in reasonable time
- Threats
  - Existing cloud major players Microsoft and Amazon. in CRM space which a key segment it will be salesforce. so penetration into these makerts would be difficult
Evaluation criteria
- Access to market
- Cost to build
- Fastest to market
- core to google values
Choice evaluation
- Buy Looker
  - Yes - acquires Looker's market and will have access to other cloud markets that looker is used
  - could be bit more expensive but with the revenue of looker customers the ROI might not be a big difference
  - Yes- as it is in the market recognized product
  - yes align with the view to support multiple clous and standardize on one toolset
- Build
  - Possible not garunteed
  - could not be cheaper from ROI perspective
  - No , it willbe slower than Buy
  - Will be build based on Google values
Recommendation
- Buy Looker as it will provide access to market and will be faster to have a google solution in market.
Note: Goolg bought looker in 2020 for 2.6 billion deal and is a choice for data management & visualization .