[IP] Who's Afraid of Google? Everyone.]
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Who's Afraid of Google? Everyone.
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 09:34:39 -0800
From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Who's Afraid of Google? Everyone.
By Kevin Kelleher
<http://wired.com/wired/archive/13.12/google.html>
It seems no one is safe: Google is doing Wi-Fi; Google is searching
inside books; Google has a plan for ecommerce.
Of course, Google has always wanted to be more than a search engine.
Even in the early days, its ultimate goal was extravagant: to
organize the world's information. High-minded as that sounds,
Google's ever-expanding agenda has put it on a collision course with
nearly every company in the information technology industry:
Amazon.com, Comcast, eBay, Yahoo!, even Microsoft.
In less than a decade, Google has gone from guerrilla startup to 800-
pound gorilla. In some ways, the company is a gentle giant. Whereas
Microsoft infamously smothered new and open standards, Google is
famous for supporting them. And the firm is softening its image,
launching a philanthropic arm, Google.org, with nearly $1 billion
earmarked for social causes. But that doesn't reduce the fear factor,
and Google knows it. Omid Kordestani, the company's global sales
guru, said at a recent conference, "We're trying to find ways so we
are not viewed as a gorilla." Given its outsize ambitions, that's one
search Google might not be able to handle.
Is the sky falling? That's how it looks to panicked tech companies
across the Valley as they contend with Google's ever-expanding power
and ambition.
VIDEO
Today, Google Video is a motley mix: clips of monkeys performing
karate and robot dogs attacking iguanas. Tomorrow? No one knows, but
everyone is worried.
Who's threatened: Comcast and other cable providers, Yahoo!, TV
networks that still shun the Net
Signs of panic: Comcast wants to be the Google of television. Yahoo!
bristles at any mention of Google Video. Networks were stunned to
find Google compiling a database of their programs.
Reality check: Google Video is up and running. The question is, How
much content can it attract - or pay for - to fill the database.
Watch for a strategic acquisition, even something big. TiVo?
CLASSIFIEDS
When secrecy-obsessed Google let news of "Google Base" slip, it
looked like an aggressive entrée into online classifieds. The test
service can search ads like used-car and personals listings, which
would mesh with Google Local and might even kick-start Orkut,
Google's social network.
Who's threatened: craigslist, eBay, Monster, Tribe.net
Signs of panic: Within hours of the Base bombshell, eBay's market
value dropped by almost $2 billion. And even before that, the
classified sites were nervous. CareerBuilder and others fretted about
letting Google host their feeds.
Reality check: This may be an extension of Froogle rather than a
stand-alone product. But it could expand to everything from travel to
eBay-like offerings.
TELECOM
Free Wi-Fi in San Francisco, instant-messaging software, a widely
anticipated VoIP foray - Google's telecom initiatives seem designed
to make life radically easier for users.
Who's threatened: Comcast, SBC, Verizon, Vonage, what's left of AOL
Signs of panic: Surprisingly few so far, partially because Google
says it has no plans to offer Wi-Fi beyond San Francisco. Still,
Comcast coined the word Comcastic - is that its answer to Googlicious?
Reality check: Something's clearly afoot, and it could be big. With
great power comes great regulation - so Google recently opened a DC
lobbying shop to combat "centralized control by network operators."
OPERATING SYSTEMS
If anyone can fulfill the dream of turning the Internet into the
operating system, it's Google. If the company chooses to develop an
OS, the move will cement Google's other initiatives into a powerful
whole.
Who's threatened: Apple, Microsoft
Signs of panic: When one of Microsoft's key operating system
engineers defected to Google last year, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
threw a chair across an office and vowed to kill Google.
Reality check: The migration of applications from PCs to the Net is
already happening - and it's key to Google's future. But the
likelihood of a Google OS depends on what Microsoft accomplishes with
its new OS, Vista.
PRINT
What if a search engine trolled not just every page on the Web, but
every page in every book? Amazon.com tried it first, then Google said
it would "make the full text of all the world's books searchable by
anyone."
Who's threatened: Amazon, Microsoft, book publishers
Signs of panic: Against the interests of a legion of obscure writers,
the Authors Guild sued Google. The Association of American
Publishers, with more to fear, did the same. Microsoft and Yahoo!
have joined a group that's creating its own book search service.
Reality check: Making every book searchable sends a clear signal that
Google has the brawn to organize the world's information. But a
vicious backlash could drown out that message.
PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAMS
Google joined with Sun Microsystems in October to jointly promote and
distribute apps like the Google Toolbar and Sun's free OpenOffice
software. Wider distribution of the toolbar, Google's most potent
Trojan horse, gives the search engine access to a world of desktops.
Who's threatened: Apple, Corel, Microsoft
Signs of panic: Microsoft launched its own toolbar and protested the
decision of the Massachusetts Information Technology Department to
dump Office for open source alternatives.
Reality check: It may be a fiendishly clever way to attack one of
Microsoft's highest-margin products, but this tactic can't be a top
priority. Google Toolbar will thrive without Sun.
ECOMMERCE
Froogle threatens no one yet. But what if, as the development of
Google Wallet suggests, Google handled your every online transaction?
The potential revenue from Google's cut of each purchase would make
AdSense look like AdCents.
Who's threatened: Amazon, Buy.com, eBay
Signs of panic: After reports speculated that Google might take on
PayPal, eBay said it would pay up to $4.1 billion for VoIP rebel
Skype. Wall Street's read: With PayPal under fire, eBay needed a new
growth area.
Reality check: Rather than take on PayPal directly, the company may
start with something less ambitious, like handling payments for
premium video content. But after that? Watch out.
Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/