Abstract

This is the first of a four-case series. Widely recognised as the 'World's Best Search Engine', Google is planning to make its long-awaited initial pubic offering (IPO) by early 2004. People use Google to conduct about 200 million searches daily. Besides providing search services, Google serves corporate clients with cost-effective advertising. The case discusses the evolution of Google from a startup to a company ready for an IPO. The case can be used in a business strategy course for MBA students.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

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Keywords

Google, Search engine, Initial public offering (IPO), Ask Jeeves, Yahoo!, MSN, Index searching, Stanford, AT&T, AT&T Wireless, Alta Vista, America Online (AOL), Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Inktomi