It's a crucial year, and if you don't do it right, you may not have a chance.

January 2013, Baidu CEO Robin Li in the 2012 performance of Baidu "Company coefficient" a column rating is 0. In the view of many employees, this is Robin (Li's English name) on Baidu in the "mobile Internet" performance is not satisfied.

This unprecedented assessment of how many employees began to spit on the internet will not shrink the year-end award, because the company's coefficient accounted for 30% of the year-end award. This "0 points" also gives employees a signal that after the spring festival, the pressure will be transmitted from top to bottom of every nerve.

Earlier in the November 2012, Li in Baidu internal issued an open letter, said Baidu lack of wolf sex, too petty bourgeoisie. "Do not know what wolf sex" Baidu mercilessly learn a "what is Wolf Sex", Vice president of the Director, director of the manager, Baidu Company layer down to answer questions. A few months later, the staff still go to work, The wolf is only short-lived.

The wolf is encouraged by Robin Li's worries about Baidu's mobile internet. Tencent has a micro-letter, Taobao has paid treasure, the cat, but Baidu, in addition to a slightly better map, and there is no form of scale platform-level products.

"Baidu has been on the mobile internet late, 2013 is a crucial year, do not do a good job may not have the opportunity." "A Baidu Mobile cloud division employees told reporters, mentioned 2013, the entire division is" tense ", this is the opportunity and challenges coexist in a year.

Baidu is anxious

Now Baidu on the move to try more, "do not know where a big tree grows", only hope to be able to single point breakthrough.

After the Spring Festival, Baidu will officially launch mobile phone assistants. "February 1, a close to Baidu, the Internet industry personage told reporters, this is similar to Peas pod, 360 mobile phone assistants, Tencent mobile phone assistant products, Baidu will be the 2013 starting point flagship products.

"Mobile phone Assistant this product can be installed on the PC, similar to the mobile phone client on the PC, Baidu can also be the traffic on the PC to guide the past." "The internet industry told reporters before, 360, Tencent two mobile phone assistants after the launch of the installed capacity rose very quickly." In 1 Years 3 months of time, 360 mobile phone assistants installed more than 100 million, which makes Baidu is very envious, so "shot" the.

On the mobile Phone assistant project, the Baidu Mobile cloud division of the product manager said a small episode: Back in 2010, Baidu Wireless business unit related personnel have applied to do a security level with the same products, but this proposal was eventually dismissed by Robin Li, which let 91 mobile phone assistants, 360 mobile phone assistant robbed first.

In addition to mobile phone assistant this app product, 2013, Baidu Mobile application Huizi, and Baidu also will dash each Android platform, and the Apple App Store download volume. Among them, the more important is mobile browser, mobile search, mobile Input method, Baidu Application Center.

Baidu began to worry. "Well-known it commentators Bo that the current Tencent in the Android platform for the application of dozens of, the most popular is micro-letter, mobile phone microblogging, mobile phone QQ, especially the micro-letter has become a fist sex products, download volume reached 300 million." But Baidu only maps download more than 100 million, other on the scale of products are not many. So, now Baidu in Mobile more try, "do not know where a big tree grow", only hope to be able to single point breakthrough.

On January 19, 2013, Baidu held the annual meeting, Li also made clear that "the Chinese Internet is experiencing a shift from the PC to the mobile, Baidu must be in the mobile era ushered in two Take-off." ”

Baidu on the one hand from mobile applications to start, hoping to eventually be able to import terminals, on the other hand, from the terminal.

In the second half of 2012 in Shanghai, Baidu Easy platform and mobile phone design manufacturer House's cooperation story stimulated the nerves of Shanghai mobile internet people. Baidu, which originally wanted to charge from the mobile operating system, did the job of "paying off". Each implanted Baidu easy platform operating system mobile phone, Baidu will pay mobile phone design manufacturer 10 yuan. One of Baidu's technical employees, who is responsible for easy platform cooperation, told reporters that his daily job was to discuss some of the details of the implant with the handset design vendors.

Meanwhile, the news of Baidu's 35 million-dollar purchase of Dim sum mobile operating system is rife. Although the news has not been disclosed by the authorities, it has spread through the internet since the day the deal was reached. The industry says, "Baidu is rich, oneself do not make good mobile Internet product, can acquire".

According to an internet source close to the dim Sum business Team, at present, the dim Sum business team has not been merged into Baidu, perhaps after the Spring festival, the two sides will gradually merge. "Baidu's main focus on the purchase of snacks is an Android optimization master, Dim sum desktop, Dim sum wallpaper, Dim sum alarm clock, such as a number of good app applications, can directly add easy platform, can also be put into the Baidu Application Center." Among them, Android optimization Master is the focus, it currently installed capacity of 50 million, and is a system-level application, and mobile phone security applications belong to a magnitude. ”

For the purchase of snacks, Bo that Baidu's easy platform does not perfect, in the user experience, the details of the MIUI compared with millet technology, there is no small gap. After the purchase of snacks, can be optimized. Although easy platform is not a strategic focus, but Baidu also want to "end" on the establishment of their own ecosystem, so, Baidu easy platform for the promotion and implantation is still needed.

"2012, we focus on B-end (refers to developers), and 2013, we have to force the C-end (refers to users)." "The above Baidu Mobile cloud division employees told reporters that 2012, Baidu's focus is on developers, but now to the front end, user-oriented."

The determination to be late

"It wasn't until October 2012 that Baidu made up its mind to move the internet," he said. ”

In the early years of Baidu's annual meeting, Li openly admitted that "2012 for Baidu, may be the most difficult, the least easy year." ”

The above Baidu Mobile cloud business Department staff Tan Chen, 2012, Baidu in the move groping forward, business unit coordination misconduct, so that Baidu has been on the move has been bumps, did not make what has the bright spot product.

Baidu's two big attempts at mobile connectivity have failed. September 2011 held the Baidu World Congress, Baidu's easy platform officially unveiled. At this point, Baidu also thought that the easy platform to seize the mobile internet "throat."

However, this deep custom Android platform's handset operating system promotion is not satisfactory. Baidu has with Changhong, Dell cooperation built-in Baidu easy platform for mobile phones, and then the cooperation between the two sides.

"At that time, easy platform is a strategic level of products, Baidu also want to use the mobile phone operating system to charge manufacturers." "The above Baidu Mobile cloud division employees told reporters, after the market test, mobile phone operating system This road has gone through." "By 2012, Baidu has basically abandoned this idea, easy platform is no longer a strategic product." ”

"Google's Android system is also going to recycle, some UI (user interface) design has also begun to standardize, deeply customized Android OS system has not." "An Internet person close to Baidu told reporters that Baidu, in addition to having easy platform operating system, does not have its own hardware to support the operating system to form a closed loop.

In addition to easy platform judgment error, in another area of mobile, life information social platform "Philharmonic Live" also basic army defeat. In just one year, the luxury team of more than 400 people fell apart and shrank to more than 100 people. The Philharmonic's story also took place in the "tough" 2012 years.

At the end of 2011, the comprehensive integration of the original E-commerce business Baidu "have ah" Philharmonic live on-line, was pinned to become Baidu Intermediate page platform of Great Expectations. The so-called middle page strategy, that is, to break the search one-way "products better users stay shorter" cycle, and then realize the C-end (client) charges of new business growth. In Robin Li's thinking, the volume of traffic that cannot be sold can transform a form of liquidity on an intermediate page platform, and the undervalued traffic that has been sold can magnify business value through this platform.

Bo that Baidu in helping businesses to carry out online marketing is relatively strong, but to help businesses to get through the offline and online marketing basically no attempt, Philharmonic live played a "small test" role.

Previously, there had been an open media report that the Philharmonic's failure was due to not focusing, landing and team problems. An employee who stayed in the Philharmonic at the beginning of his business told reporters that Philharmonic has been trying social network-style consumer community, but to do the community is slow work out malt products, it takes time and energy, and operation is a barrier. At that time, the Philharmonic live team members are very good, just began to split out again are majestic heart, unavoidably impatient some. And the Philharmonic is still doing app products while living in the community. At the same time, the energy spread to these two lines, then the inevitable will not do any good. ”

Bo analysis that, "The Philharmonic live the recent big adjustment, proves in O2O this test line under the Comprehensive ability field, the Philharmonic live has not found the feeling." ”

At present, still have the last breath of the Philharmonic live all hope is placed on the mobile internet, but also hope to use Baidu 2013 mobile performance to get new life. At present, the Philharmonic live has a beautiful, Beijing flavor, such as 7 app. An investment analyst in charge of mobile internet told reporters that the desire to live in the Philharmonic is moving, and it is now important to take the magnitude of these mobile applications.

"2012, the marketing staff saw some changes in the market, put forward a lot of good ideas, but the corresponding products did not keep up." "The employee is somewhat depressed to say that if the company's understanding of the same, then Baidu on the mobile Internet report Card will be much more beautiful."

Two years ago in 2011, Baidu thought the mobile internet might not come so soon, so that by 2012, Baidu was still in a state of muddle over the mobile internet.

"It wasn't until October 2012 that Baidu made up its mind to move the internet," he said. "The above Baidu Mobile cloud division employees told reporters, looked at the 2012 third quarter of the operating data, found that users of mobile internet use of rapid increase in demand, Baidu's mobile product downloads rise very quickly, this shows that Baidu's groping is correct."

Pioneer of the fledgling

In Baidu's planning, Baidu map is mainly to keep the mobile portal, mobile cloud is to really control the user.

From the framework, currently acting as Baidu Mobile internet pioneer is the 2012 new mobile Cloud Division and LBS (location Service) division.

At present, Baidu Map Mobile terminal installed capacity of nearly 100 million, in Baidu many mobile apps in the top.

Bo that lbs is another strategic location for mobile internet, Baidu Map is its throat. As a portal, maps can integrate a wide range of related services. As a platform, it can provide location service capability for third parties.

But the ideal is very plump, but the reality is more bone feeling. "At present, the mobile version of the Baidu map of the bank, ATM, food, fast food and other categories for a more detailed division, but the user's feedback is not good." The new version to be launched in early March will make a big difference in UI design. "A Baidu map staff said that the mobile map every one months released a new version of the map in the user use of the scene, the use of habits, interactive operation, etc. are still in the groping stage."

The Baidu map staff revealed that Baidu map of more than 300 employees are almost all products, technology, operations, responsible for business development and cooperation of staff only more than 10.

From the proportion of people can be seen, Baidu Map is currently the focus of products, and did not carry out a large-scale online and offline O2O attempt. At present, Baidu map access to the public comments, and other food and beverage sites such as eating, the new version after the Spring festival will also be connected to drop a taxi.

"A little bigger site, and Baidu map cooperation will have some concerns." The Baidu map employees said that although the public comment on the Baidu map, but it is not completely open to the map, just let Baidu map as a diversion of the tool. At the same time, the public comments are also connected to the search map, the site's many comments on the data are open to the search map. In addition, in group buying this O2O mode the first clear industry, the first group of U.S. access is also search map, and the second ranking of the comments group access is the map, access to the Baidu map of the glutinous Rice network in the group buying market has been ranked five.

Bo thinks, "At present Baidu Map concentrates on perfect product practice is correct." Products are fundamental, no good products no users, no users, service providers will not be strong access. ”

The map is the first clear access to the mobile Internet, and other internet giants are naturally not outdone. 2013, Tencent and Ali also began to quickly force the map. 2012, Tencent Search Street map official debut, the current investment has reached hundreds of millions of yuan, has been in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other 6 major cities have been launched, is expected to the end of this year in all provincial capital cities have opened Street View map. Alibaba, which has spent 35 million of billions of dollars as a controlling shareholder of easy access to maps, is building a map business unit. Baidu Map employees said Baidu map engineers often received a call from headhunters, asking if they would like to move to Tencent or Ali.

According to Analysys International released mobile map report, 2012 The third quarter, the market share of the gold map is 25.9%, Baidu Map is 19.1%, the figure is 9.5%, tiger Map is 9.4%, Sogou map is 9.2%, Google Maps is 9%. In the second quarter, the market share of Google Maps was 17.5%. In just one quarter, great changes have taken place.

"The pattern of the entire map market is not fixed. "Bo believes that there is a chance for the powerful manufacturers."

"Although from the current market share, Gould is now the market first, but Baidu map of the eyes of the competitor is Tencent and Alibaba." "A Baidu map employees told reporters that the map is a large investment, a long return cycle of business, only the strength, and the business relationship between the company can play long.

In Baidu's planning, Baidu map is mainly to keep the mobile portal, mobile cloud is to truly control the user, the user's information into the cloud, so that the user for platform migration, will increase the cost of migration. Baidu Company also placed high hopes on mobile cloud, which set up a separate mobile cloud division.

"Internet giants have seen that the focus of the mobile Internet, the basis of the cloud." Bo told reporters, it also prompted Baidu, Tencent, Ali and other companies have launched Cloud services.

"Baidu's mobile Internet strategy focuses on the cloud. "Bo Analysis, Baidu in the cloud computing infrastructure investment up to tens of billions of scale, in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanxi, Yangquan and other land set up a cloud computing center. Relying on cloud, Baidu can help more developers to build, deploy and distribute mobile products, through these products so that users become Baidu Cloud direct or indirect users.

But the cloud services launched by Baidu, developers do not seem to have a cold. Reporters visited a number of developers who said that few developers in the entire developer community are using Baidu's cloud services.

"Baidu Cloud launched a bit late, many developers have chosen Sina, Tencent, Ali, Amazon, Shanda and other companies cloud services." "A life Entertainment app developer told reporters that the developer chose a company's cloud server, because some operating data are in the cloud server, generally will not easily change service providers."

And it is understood that the domestic internet large companies, Sina pioneered cloud services, after Tencent, Ali, Shanda, such as the launch of cloud services, and Baidu launched in 2012 cloud services, has been belatedly.

From the previous experience, the use of Internet companies cloud services, mostly small webmaster and a number of small micro-ventures. "Beautiful said, mushroom Street Such a level of companies are often their own to IDC rental room, build servers, and will not use internet companies of these applications." "These live entertainment app developers believe that if the cloud services are not used by large web sites, then the entire market will not be able to break out, and internet companies ' huge investments in data centers may be" there is no return. "

"From the user's use habits, cloud services industry chain formation takes a long time." "It's a long-distance run for every internet company," says Bo.

Find Entry Level Products

In addition to Baidu Map, Baidu is also looking for new mobile Internet entry level products.

"Mobile search and mobile browser is the new strategic level of Baidu products." 2013, Baidu Mobile internet In addition to map, look at these two core products. "The above mentioned Baidu Mobile cloud division employees told reporters that at present, Baidu in the mobile product full bloom, like spread pepper son, through these applications are imported to mobile search." At present, Sina Weibo mobile search is built in Baidu, UC Browser also built Baidu search, and Baidu each wireless product built-in search is also Baidu. Through this add up, Mickle, and gradually expand Baidu search market share.

The choice of browser and search ultimately or around Baidu's core competitiveness. Li once said, "The search box and browser as the core of the mobile phone client products, only a year, active users more than tens of millions of times." "Such a volume let Baidu in the mobile internet, a little bit of a clear direction."

For Baidu, mobile search is not up to the magnitude of the current, this is a big opportunity for Baidu. "At the moment, the mobile internet is just getting started, and access to information can be obtained through the corresponding app." And when the volume of information is up, you start to need to move the search. Bo believes that this is a great opportunity for Baidu, which has strong accumulation in search technology.

In this logical inference, the first question to answer is: in the mobile internet age, the use of mobile terminals in the context, when users will use mobile search, and the intensity of the use of mobile search?

For this issue, at present, under the development of mobile Internet, no one can make a forward-looking prediction. Everyone can only accumulate their own technical grasp, as well as their respective advantages.

A Baidu search technology engineer told reporters that PC search and mobile search in the user needs, interaction between the two points is not the same. The user uses the handset, uses the PC the demand point is different, the operation custom also is different. For example, users will be based on lbs to find nearby people, restaurants, entertainment and other places. This allows Baidu to be based on a search probe on the PC, producing different changes.

At present, Baidu has also found some features in mobile search. The search engineer says the probability of searching for instant files like news on a mobile phone is small. But will search based on lbs, and may take a mobile phone to take a picture, real-time search, but also may use two-dimensional code real-time query prices.

"Unlike the main text search on PCs, mobile search will be more of a picture, location-based search, and voice search." The whole search will go up, but in the traditional sense the proportion of the search is relatively small. The engineer says there is still a lot of room for improvement in search.

Mobile internet just opened a chess game, for the Internet's large enterprises, there are opportunities. Bo that, at present, mobile Internet find

The portal has maps, micro-letters, etc., but security, browsers, video, music and other users "just need" areas, there is also the opportunity to find the mobile Internet portal.

Many Internet industry people speculated that mergers and acquisitions is also the important means of mobile internet Baidu layout. In November 2012, Baidu announced the issuance of 1.5 billion of dollars in corporate debt. And Li said at the January 2013 Baidu Annual Meeting, "The future will use these funds, continue to increase the investment in basic technology, strengthen product layout and innovation." ”

If the browser, mobile search is the current Baidu to get through the mobile Internet, the strategic level of products, then voice assistants are the future can be presented Baidu technology to achieve products. In the future, technologies such as cloud computing, voice, graphics, natural language Understanding (NLP) will be key to Baidu's leadership of the industry, Li said.

In addition, in the Baidu annual meeting, Li has clearly pointed out that the traditional search, mobile cloud, LBS, internationalization strategy will be Baidu's four key business direction in the future. There is also news that Baidu will set up a separate international division in the future, specifically responsible for "good 123", Baidu Search International market business.

"Comprehensive look, Baidu's mobile internet layout, focusing on the big investment, the importance of strong, high technical requirements, the impact of the field." "Bo said.

However, from the perspective of product layout, Baidu on the mobile internet layout has obvious weakness.

At present, Baidu's products are tool class applications, but there is always no platform class social products. Because there has been no social product, its search advantage on the PC can not be transferred to the mobile phone. Baidu map, but also a geographical attribute of the product, not social attributes of the product.

"Socializing is certainly not the advantage of Baidu, and it cannot be solved at this stage." "The above mentioned mobile cloud Business Department staff Tan Chen, at present, the social application of Baidu is based on the promotion, but the effect is general." Baidu Library, Baidu Music and other products in the PC has a user registered account, but currently does not form a social network, and did not transfer to mobile phones.

The former employee who stayed at the Philharmonic in the early days of the venture told reporters, "To do social networking, the minimum cost of 10,000 active users every day, before they can function normally." "Although, for Baidu, the number of users is not a problem, but the feeling of social networking and experience is the lack of Baidu."

For Baidu, setting up a social network requires a step-by-step rebuild of its account system. "On the mobile internet, Baidu has the account of each product to get through, users only need to use a product in a Baidu account, you can login all products Baidu." "The former Baidu Mobile cloud division employees told reporters that Baidu this allows users to store in the cloud."

Bo that the future homogeneity of tool products is serious, the cost of user Switching platform is low. Future platform should be a cohesive social platform, the user switching costs are high. He also lamented, "social networking is missing from the Baidu gene, the account system is a long way to build." ”

At present, Baidu's products are tool class applications, but there is always no platform class social products.

Cultural challenges

The management mechanism of Baidu, as well as the mechanism of large companies, it is difficult to develop a competitive, killer application.

When there is a clear plan, how to implement will become a big test Baidu.

The implementation of Baidu's strategy, one has worked in Baidu for more than 3 years of staff have deep feelings: "In fact, a pioneer in the territory of innovative products only need more than 10 people to dozens of people, and the leader of the people to have a maverick quality." "The management mechanism of Baidu, as well as the mechanism of large companies, it is difficult to develop a competitive, killer application."

A Baidu user product department staff told reporters that in the absence of unified resources, Baidu's line of business are doing mobile applications, and some applications will have similar places. "In the Apple App Store, Baidu Video, Baidu Audio-visual have a corresponding app, the browser can also watch video." This superposition, will produce a lot of waste of resources. ”

At present, Baidu in the original user product Department, the main structure of the commercial product department, the establishment of mobile cloud, LBS, good 123 division. In the future, we may set up an international division. And among them, mobile cloud, LBS division is the main task of Baidu Mobile Internet.

In a senior employee who has worked in Baidu for more than 5 years, Baidu's Division of the Division is not clear, and the entire company faces a mobile internet restructuring without Tencent and Alibaba doing it cleanly.

Alibaba will split the whole company into 25 divisions, each division is a small business unit, let Ali this large company more than a lot of tentacles, in the face of changes in the market can be flexible response. Tencent will split the company into 6 major divisions, a power companies holding company, and the Mobile Internet (MIG) division, but also let each line of business is in a competitive situation.

"Ali and Tencent two companies are implementing internal competition, although internal resources have repeated construction, loss of suspicion, but for the competition, is a good thing." Because the competition with the outside is a lot of hands, and finally, the resources are in their own hands. "The former Baidu mid-level staff believes that, by contrast, Baidu's culture is much milder."

Corporate culture of the gentle, can be raised from the wolf, after a long time, Baidu restored the style of the past is evident.

More than a lot of Baidu's employees said, "Baidu a lot of departments are quite suitable for old-age, such as Peking University, Tsinghua and other first-class institutions of higher learning will not stay in Baidu too long, because I feel that the challenges of Baidu less and fewer." ”

Earlier, Bo Analysis said that Baidu in the management and continuity of corporate culture do poorly. In the entire Internet company, after the listing of Baidu, the most serious loss of executive, the most frequent, this loss has affected the stability of the company's management structure, as well as the continuity of corporate culture. Although Baidu has been emphasizing the culture of engineers, but the proportion of engineers is less than 30%, and sales, market partners to 70%, which in a way has affected Baidu's innovative ability in products.