Is there an online business that’s beyond Google’s strategic agenda?
In the past couple of months, Google has moved into the health market with Google Health, and it has now set its sights on the $90-billion travel market. Meanwhile, it seems like only a matter of time before Google tackles the real estate market amid deals with Trulia and expanded listings on Google Base.
it makes you wonder whether the strategic expansion plans of the Google empire have any limits. Is there a market in which advertising is involved that won’t attract Google’s attention? Will there be a time when whatever you want to do online (search, e-mail, travel, books, real estate, video, photos, maps, news, etc.) where Google won’t be a player?
Not to suggest this would be a bad development because Google, for the most part, develops quality services but what does an All Google, All the Time world mean for the competitive landscape and the overall health of the online ecosystem?
Perhaps the biggest threat of having omnipresent and omnipotent Google is it throttles or deters innovation and entrepreneurial activity. Someone, for example, could come up with a great idea but would shy away from it because Google is already playing in that market. Without thriving competition, the Web would be a much less interesting place.
Of course, no empire can guarantee its survival – e.g. the Roman Empire – so Google needs to keep moving and expanding. It will be interesting to see where and how it moves next.
More: For a hypothetical look at the rise and fall of the Google empire, check out Google Blogoscoped.
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2 Comments
Interesting question. Google has a leading and diverse presence on the web but I don’t think they will eliminate competition, rather they will spur more innovative competition. Google is setting the standard for the future of web technologies and there will be plenty of entrepreneurs fighting to make their way into the mix. Gen Y is going to have many more college graduates than the previous generation, will hopefully be technologically inclined, more students are wanting to be entrepreneurs than ever and most won’t be working for Google. If today’s entrepreneurs continue to lay the framework, I don’t see why the online ecosystem will be threatened by Google gaining too much power.
Julian,
You make a valid point. The search engine market, for example, continues to see some interesting new players such as Powerset who are taking different/new approaches. Hopefully, this kind of activity will continue to flourish and be supported.