One day after Microsoft accused Google of bypassing cookie-related security features in its Internet Explorer browser, a Redmond-backed video has surfaced that attacks Google Apps.
The video, dubbed "Googlighting," channels the 80s TV show Moonlighting and was uploaded to YouTube by Microsoft yesterday. It features an over-confident salesman clad in a white suit and a multi-colored tie reminiscent of the Google logo. He arrives late to a pitch meeting and makes a rather half-assed attempt to sell Google Apps.
"Wait, you want us to be your lab rats?" a female executive asks the Google pitchman after he proposes rolling out Google Apps across her entire company. "Pioneer," he interjects.
Her line of questioning then attacks features Microsoft considers to be lacking in Google Apps, from spell check and sufficient offline access to frequent software updates.
"I could come to work and the software could be different than the day before?" the female exec asks.
"Different, better, completely gone, who knows what the future holds for Google Apps?" the Google employee responds.
A singer then emerges from the corner to suggest that Google's recent house-cleaning efforts might ultimately result in the demise of Google Apps. The search giant killed off Gears, Wave, and Buzz - why not Google Apps? "If Google Apps meets its grave, your business is hosed," the singer croons.
"Beware the Googlighting Stranger," the ad ends.
This is not the first time Microsoft has attacked Google in video form. In July, the Microsoft Office 365 team created a spoof video for its sales conference that poked fun at Gmail. "Gmail Man" featured an unctuous, cloying mail carrier who looked through people's correspondence to identify "keywords" for advertising opportunities.
The ad comes as Google is moving in on Microsoft's business, offering businesses cloud-based services that are cheaper than Microsoft's suite of offerings - switch out Exchange for Gmail and Apps for Office, for example. Microsoft, however, has hit back on issues of security and reliability. Google, meanwhile, has also gone after Microsoft Windows with its Chromebook line of Web-based notebooks.
For more, see Why Choose Google Apps Over Office 365? Cost and Fun, Customer Says.