Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google: there is an odd man out

There is a study in contrasts between a consumer focused company (Apple), and a business focused company (Microsoft). While Apple does offer some business friendly features in iCloud (autobackup for iOS and Document sync for iWork), the data services are primarily personal in nature (e.g. Photo Stream), mobile device focused (iOS), and free. Only the iTunes Match feature is going to cost money - and it is going to be killer for many people. All your music (no matter where you got it!) synced to 10 devices (iOS, PC and Mac) from the cloud for $25 per year.

Apple's services are easy to understand, and there is just one fee-based service. In contrast, Microsoft fails to communicate that their mail service is still free; instead focusing entirely on business, and uses complex product offerings that are anything but simple. ZDnet's Mary Jo Foley produced a guide of the plans and price points for Office 365, Microsoft's hosted server application bundle that is launching shortly.

Then there is Google that is trying to do the consumer and the business and the social thing, and getting none of it as right as the competition. Google Apps and Gmail (and as much as I like Gmail) can't hold a corporate candle to Office 365. And Google's still beta music locker is no where near as compelling as iTunes Match. And Google Buzz and Google Wave were a social bust. I feel bad for Google as they can't seem to figure out how to compete with Apple's consumer services, with Microsoft's business services or with Facebook when it comes to social. Seems like they are the big loser here . . . and the odd man out.