Just Googling It Is Striking Fear Into Companies
NY Times debates the power of Google over even big companies like Wal Mart. They worry that by making information available everywhere, Google might soon be able to tell Wal-Mart shoppers if better bargains are available nearby. NYT runs through businesses feeling the G effect, including advertising, software and the news media, retailing, real estate and auto sales.
Quote:
"Google is the realization of everything that we thought the Internet was going to be about but really wasn't until Google," said David B. Yoffie, a professor at Harvard Business School.
Poor old Bill is still sort of dreaming about the promised land.
Quote:
Microsoft, in particular, is pushing hard to catch Google in Internet search. "This is hyper-competition, make no mistake," said Bill Gates, Microsoft's chief executive. "The magic moment will come when our search is demonstrably better than Google's," he said, suggesting that this could happen in a year or so.
Perhaps this is another big step in the offing
Quote:
Among the many projects being developed and debated inside Google is a real estate service, according to a person who has attended meetings on the proposal. The concept, the person said, would be to improve the capabilities of its satellite imaging, maps and local search and combine them with property listings.
I had to get past the NYT annoying sign up page with Bug Me Not and had to turn off Java Script in FF to get NYT to display. They don't make it easy!
- Y! MyWeb
mmm
You nasty boy
jackpot stakes
The story is the jackpot stakes. Winner takes ALL, and Microsoft knows this. Let's see some numbers of users *voluntarily* choosing to Google for search queries, vs. the others. I suspect it is much higher than the % of raw search query numbers. It is that monopoloy that is the jackpot.
I think it is only talked about now because Gogle is moving on its monopoly. Of course gates would not use that term casually.
Microsoft labs worked on a pda/phone solution that lets a browser in a book store scan ISBN barcodes and get real-time price comparisons while in the store, with online ordering. They know how disruptive this stuff is.... and how lucrative it will be for the intermediary/brokers.
Too bad that even with all those Windows desktops, they can't seem to become the trusted broker that is Google. Must be frustrating.
Costar
Google has already cut a deal with Costar, the largest supplier of commercial real estate data in the US and UK.
http://google.blognewschannel.com/index.php/archives/category/search/google-local/
I'm already hearing
I'm already hearing experienced Web users suggesting that they are getting better results from MSN than they are from Google.
> Google might soon be able
Google might soon be able to tell Wal-Mart shoppers if better bargains are available nearby.
Why is it that large companies always fight for free market forces and competition but then when it hits them really seems to want monopolies?
If they are not ready for the competition and true free market forces then close the shop!