• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGoogle

Google Is Attacking Enterprise from Every Angle

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 18, 2016, 6:57 PM ET
Photograph by Getty Images

Google’s plans to be a big business technology giant involves everything from spreadsheets and laptops to data centers and computer chips. On Wednesday, the search giant revealed several new business-oriented technologies that it hopes will give it credibility with potential customers.

“We are serious about the enterprise,” said Google’s (GOOG) top cloud computing executive Diane Greene, as if to prove to naysayers that the search giant is a viable competitor to enterprise stalwarts like IBM (IBM) or Microsoft (MSFT).

Greene spoke at a press event during Google’s annual developer conference in Mountain View during which several Google executives explained the company’s work in various business technologies.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

For example, Google said it had developed it’s own custom microchip tailored for software services that are powered by machine-learning algorithms. Software services powered by machine learning can absorb and learn from large quantities of data in order to make decisions and operate more efficiently.

Urs Hölzle, Google’s senior vice president of technical infrastructure, said that the new microchip, called the Tensor Processing Unit, is built to handle a variety of machine learning tasks, but is not intended to replace more conventional computer chips like CPUs and GPUs. Instead, he said that the new chip, in conjunction with other chips, can be used for very specific kinds of machine learning techniques, although he didn’t elaborate further.

The new microchip is currently used to power Google’s voice recognition service for Android phones, Hölzle explained. The microchip is housed in a container that resembles a conventional hard drive device and can be plugged into Google’s data center racks whenever the company wants to get a boost of machine learning power.

For more about Google, watch:

The microchip is built to work with Google’s recently released free TensorFlow software that Google said coders can use to build and imbue apps with machine learning capabilities, potentially giving coders the ability to create powerful software like Google’s image recognition services.

Google also said that it released several new so-called application program interfaces that give companies the ability to more easily sync data from other companies’ services like Salesforce (CRM) into Google’s own Slides presentation software. Developers can also use a new so-called Classroom API to create education software for teachers and students.

Hölzle also discussed a new update to Google’s Firebase service that developers can use to build mobile apps and better manage their apps’ data. He explained that the update allows coders to take advantage of Google’s cloud data analytics services better.

Google and Salesforce Get Together to Keep Your Spreadsheets Updated

Google executives also bragged about their recently released Chromebook laptop, built with the help of HP. The company did not give an update on sales of the device, but only to say that both businesses and government agencies seem to be interested. Hölzle boasted that the Chromebooks are “probably the most secure” laptops on the market.

With all of the announcements, it’s clear Google is trying to win businesses over from every angle.

The company’s cloud computing business is still behind technology giants like Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft, according to analysts. But Greene said cloud computing is “the biggest revolution in my lifetime,” and presents Google with an opportunity to capitalize in a trillion dollar IT industry.

“We’re going to be able support a huge portion of the IT industry with Google cloud,” Greene said.

Still, it’s easier said than done. Although Google has the technical chops, it doesn’t have the sales expertise in selling to corporate clients the way companies like IBM or Microsoft have.

That’s partly why Google hired Greene, a Silicon Valley veteran who co-founded the business technology company VMware (VMW). With Greene on board, Google is hoping that its technology in conjunction with a recognized business leader can make it a true enterprise competitor.

Time will tell.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

AstraZeneca CFO Aradhana Sarin
BankingCFO Daily
How AstraZeneca’s 17,000 AI-certified employees are helping it reach a ‘stretch goal’ of $80 billion in revenue
By Sheryl EstradaApril 30, 2026
6 minutes ago
agentic
CommentaryAI agents
Why your data infrastructure — not your AI model — will determine whether Agentic AI scales
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Stephen Henriques, Catherine Dai and Zander JeinthanuttkanontApril 30, 2026
41 minutes ago
The startup that wants to give surgeons X-ray vision
NewslettersTerm Sheet
The startup that wants to give surgeons X-ray vision
By Allie GarfinkleApril 30, 2026
42 minutes ago
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian at Fortune Brainstorm AI 2025 in San Francisco. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Google Cloud is almost one-fifth of Alphabet’s business
By Andrew NuscaApril 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Photo: Donald Trump
Big TechMarkets
With no end in sight, Trump considers new options in Iran war—including the ‘Dark Eagle’ hypersonic missile
By Jim EdwardsApril 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet’s business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google’s search identity?
Big TechGoogle
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet’s business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google’s search identity?
By Alexei OreskovicApril 29, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
3 days ago
‘Take the money and run’: Johns Hopkins economist Steve Hanke on why the UAE quit OPEC
Energy
‘Take the money and run’: Johns Hopkins economist Steve Hanke on why the UAE quit OPEC
By Shawn TullyApril 29, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon gets candid about national debt: ‘There will be a bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it’
Economy
Jamie Dimon gets candid about national debt: ‘There will be a bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it’
By Eleanor PringleApril 29, 2026
1 day ago
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
AI
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
By Sasha RogelbergApril 28, 2026
2 days ago
‘They left me no choice’: Powell isn’t going anywhere—blocking Trump from another Fed appointee
Banking
‘They left me no choice’: Powell isn’t going anywhere—blocking Trump from another Fed appointee
By Eva RoytburgApril 29, 2026
18 hours ago
More than two-thirds of U.S. schools say they’re unable to afford the cost of student free lunch—and MAHA’s dietary guidelines may make it worse
Economy
More than two-thirds of U.S. schools say they’re unable to afford the cost of student free lunch—and MAHA’s dietary guidelines may make it worse
By Sasha RogelbergApril 29, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.