Google Sues the United States Govt (Interior Dept)

Claims It Didn't Get To Bid On Email Contract

[skibum]

[marketwatch.com...]

Google Inc. has filed a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Interior Department shut it out of bidding for a large contract, due to a preference for Microsoft Corp.’s technology, in a move that underlines the search giant’s growing competition with Microsoft in the market for Internet-based software tools.

My gut reaction to this is hey Google, you want to generate cash from govt contracts but funnel profits through off-shore entities and not pay any taxes. Of course Microsoft and security seem strange to hear in the same sentence but maybe with email it is different than the OS.

[tangor]

According to the suit, Google repeatedly tried to engage the Department of the Interior in "substantive discussions," hoping to convince the agency that it should consider Google Apps, Mountain View's suite of online business tools. Google did eventually meet with the department on multiple occasions, but apparently it didn't go well. At one meeting in April, the suit says, the department told Google that a "path forward has already been chosen" and that Google would not be able to compete for the contract because its services didn't meet the department's security needs.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/01/google_sues_us_gove_for_picking_microsoft/

[StoutFiles]

You can sue someone for not buying your products?

[bwnbwn]

[foxnews.com...]

Hmm sounds like a rerun of the no bid Google got from the US gov.

[outland88]

but funnel profits through off-shore entities and not pay any taxes

Doesn't Google actually have more employees outside of the US than in or is that another Google secret?

Oh, well as I have always said Google is dying to prove its stronger than the US Government. Bottom line Google will cost the US taxpayer. Meanwhile can you expect anything less when Eric Schmidt is practically bragging Google is invading everybody's privacy.

[Aaron111]

why do they sue everyone

[brokenbynubs]

They don't.

[explorador]

MS is not perfect, we all know that but at least MS doesn't have all that bad fame for privacy issues. Why would you take G in count for such serious data?

G can't control itself for its hunger of data analyzing, they pay the price now.

[J_RaD]

huh? what? is G serious?

[Demaestro]

You can sue someone for not buying your products?

No, but there are rules about fair competition when the government is giving out contracts and if those rules aren't followed there should be some recourse.

Lawsuits and official complaints of this type are quite common in the construction industries.

Doesn't Google actually have more employees outside of the US than in or is that another Google secret?

That is no secret.. they have offices in many countries, they offer products and services to many countries. It stands to reason those offices are staffed by the natives of those countries... you know since they offer products and services there.

I think what you are thinking about is taking jobs from the USA and moving them to other countries.. which I don't think Google is as guilty of as some other companies that get government contracts... like HP for example.

[outland88]

That is no secret

Please be specific with your figures regarding Google. It pretty much goes without saying that many large corporations operating globally do keep subsidiary operations in many countries. My understanding is the largest group of Google employees are in India not the US. The last time I did a search regarding this Google was pretty hush-hush about the matter.

[Demaestro]

I don't have specific figures.

I am saying, without having to look hard I can reasonably assume they hold a large number of employees outside the USA based on the fact the hold so many offices outside the USA, which they don't keep secret.

I wouldn't consider the fact they don't publish their employee totals in each country an attempt at "Hush Hush" but they claim to have.... on a worldwide basis, 19,835 full-time employees as of December 31, 2009.

[investor.google.com...]

How many of them are in the USA? I would guess at least 2000-4000 employees to run the Googleplex.. if you can find how many USA employees they have it is a simple subtraction away from how many outside the USA.

It doesn't seem very hushed tho.

[outland88]

I can say it is hush-hush in quite a few areas because Google has asked many local officials in small US towns and cities to sign non-disclosure agreements regarding its activities and employment figures. In fact in discussions with an editor, part of national chain, he stated they were unable to get the actual employment figures from Google. They also want to know if Google honored various state agreements regarding local employment when Google was given considerable tax breaks. IMO Google wants to keep so much in the dark it would likely take court orders to find the real truth. The actual truth may come from minor players who aren't married to Google income.

[skibum]

why do they sue everyone

It is the American way!

Having MSFT deal with that kind of sensitive data would be preferable to GOOG anyway in light of the Google anti-privacy campaign from Mr. Schmidt.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Pssst Google, you got too big and then started bullying people out of their privacy and webmasters out of their traffic, get used to it.

Right, wrong, makes no difference to me, I'm not the judge. I think Google has enough of the internet pie however and I miss the pre "push everything up to the limits of creepy" Google.

[Chico_Loco]

What a sore-loser move!

[np2003]

Wow Google looks and more like a lousy company as every day progresses. Microsoft is starting to look like the good guys.

[graeme_p]

My gut reaction to this is hey Google, you want to generate cash from govt contracts but funnel profits through off-shore entities and not pay any taxes

MS does the same. A huge chunk of their profits (almost all their European profits I think) are taxable in Ireland.

[mrguy]

Google uses every legal loop hole in the books to move money out of the US to avoid paying taxes and pays as little as possible.

There was a huge article in Bloomburg a few weeks ago about how Google is one of the largest companies and pays next to nothing in corporation taxes since they move money through different countries ending up in the Bahamas.

They should not be allowed to bid on anything for the US Govt until they pony up and pay their fair share.

[Maurice]

And the MS solution doesnt have to store info in the cloud and MS didn't get hacked by a foriegn powers Security Service and they are suprised your not on the short list?

I am Shocked Shocked I tell you :-)

[myindiahub]

hey good discussion it