谷歌云的“逆袭”

Core Viewpoint - Google Cloud's third-quarter revenue grew by 34% year-on-year, exceeding $15 billion, positioning it to challenge YouTube as Alphabet's second-largest revenue source after search advertising [1][3]. Group 1: Financial Performance - Google Cloud's revenue for the third quarter reached over $15 billion, driven by strong demand for AI infrastructure and services, particularly for Google's proprietary Gemini model [3]. - Alphabet has raised its capital expenditure forecast for cloud infrastructure twice this year, now expecting it to reach between $91 billion and $93 billion, indicating a willingness to invest heavily to gain market share [3][6]. Group 2: Strategic Changes - Thomas Kurian's leadership has transformed Google Cloud's approach, shifting from a loose, bottom-up culture to a more disciplined, customer-centric sales model, which some employees refer to as a "non-Google" culture [4]. - Kurian has implemented cost-cutting measures by opening new offices in lower-rent areas and restructuring internal service contracts, while also refocusing the sales strategy from order volume to revenue [4]. Group 3: Competitive Positioning - Google Cloud's market share has increased from 7% to an expected 13% by 2025 under Kurian's leadership, reflecting significant strategic and operational changes [3][4]. - The company has begun offering its proprietary AI chips (TPU) to external companies, including competitors, enhancing its bargaining power in the market [5]. Group 4: Future Outlook - Despite the high costs associated with its growth, Google Cloud achieved profitability for the first time in 2023 after years of losses [6]. - Alphabet's CEO Sundar Pichai expressed confidence in Google Cloud's resilience against market fluctuations, emphasizing the company's long-term commitment to AI [6].