IT Management Slideshow:
Google`s Gains and Losses Under CEO Eric Schmidt as Co-Founder Larry Page Steps Up

When Google CEO Eric Schmidt announced Jan. 20 that he was handing his CEO role to Google Co-founder Larry Page, we couldn’t help but be struck by the symmetry. After all, Page is the man for whom Schmidt took over in 2001. Back then, Google was at a crossroads. Page and Co-founder Sergey Brin were being hounded by their financial backers to install a leader with business savvy, even as Google’s traffic was growing steadily. Under Schmidt, Google became the undisputed leader in search and search ads. Even so, Google’s Android mobile operating system faces steep competition on the mobile Web front from Apple with the iPhone and iPad tablet computers. Another area where Google is significantly disadvantaged is in social networking, where Facebook is the dominant power. Google reportedly has big plans to infuse its Web applications with social services, but these have yet to materialize under Schmidt, which many see as a failing. In this slide show, CIO Insight takes a look at the potential impact of Schmidt turning over control of the multi-billion-dollar company he helped build with Page, who hasn’t led in years.