By Andrew Leckey

Q. Will Google Inc. stock do well in the future? -- Y.W., via the Internet

A. The company whose name has become a synonym for "search" still derives most of its profits from its free search engine and related advertising.

Future success depends on not only fending off competition in global search, but in introducing profitable new lines of business. It is a stretch to expect the same dramatic results it has enjoyed in its primary business.

Some recent events reflect the competitive landscape:

-- Its Android mobile-phone operating system gained about 6 percentage points in smart phone market share in the three-month period ended in November. It ranks second with 26 percent, behind Research in Motion and slightly ahead of Apple, according to comScore Inc.

-- Notebook computers running Google's Chrome operating system will be shipped by Samsung and Acer in the second half of this year to compete with Microsoft's Windows and Apple's Mac computers.

-- Its new Android 3.0 for tablet computers, nicknamed Honeycomb, will be used by manufacturers taking on Apple's iPad.

The Mountain View, Calif., company has many positives: Its brand strength that encourages customers to try new products, an outstanding technical staff and strong online advertising potential.

 

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Investing - Google's Growth Could Slow But Still a Solid Buy | Successful Investing

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