Google Going For The Kill..Bye Bye Yahoo, Msn AOL ISPs

[SEO1]

Hi everyone

There was a posting in the Wall Street Journal today announcing Google, Goldman Sachs & Hearst would invest $100 Million in Current Communications of Germantown Maryland.

Current is a privately held company providing Internet access in Cincinnati OH through the local electric power lines.

Now why would Google invest in this company and would blue chip firms like Goldman Sachs and Hearst also invest??

Well Google has offered all these wonderful web services that require seperate log ins, G-mail, Adwords, Adsense, Sitemaps, Groups, Answers... what they don't have is community interaction with the end user that Yahoo MSN MySpace and others do.

By invwesting in Current Google can in the future using its grid based environment offer free internet access to anyone near a power line in the United States and build a Super Community that the others could not touch.

Is this the killer Google move that leaves the others behind??

All I can say is Yahoo may be a forebearer of the new term "YaWho"

Clint

[JEC]

I find it interesting that Google would invest in a communications company like that. It would seem with this investment that perhaps Google is going to become an ISP of sorts and start offering subscription services like MSN, AOL, EarthLink, NetZero, etc. At least, that's what I draw from this. Since everyone already has power into their houses, Google could really clean up on this by offering a low subscription rate that's comparable to the cheapest dial-up service. And, no installation charges other than purchasing a converter/router device to plug into the wall. I think people would drop their dial-up in a hurry for faster service at the same price, or lower, or perhaps even a tad higher. Wouldn't that be something?

I haven't experienced the use of broadband over power lines. Has anybody in this forum used it? How does it compare to high-speed cable or DSL?

JEC

[Mel]

Its not like the bought the company or became a majority partner or something.

While this technology would seem to have a great future, it may just be that as a commercial company Google is investing some small part of its spare cash in something that they perceive may be profitable, it does not necessarily have to be search related or affect any search engines in any way.

[SEO1]

While Google did not buy the company, they did invest in it, and it only makes sense that they would. What is not so clear is their partners motive in the investment.

Goldman a financial services company and Hearst a media company. These three as bed fellows which leaves tones and yet unseen speculation as to why the three have teamed up.

When the FCC allowed data transmission over power lines it opened a huge doorway for changing life as we know it. The possibilities are endless and mind numbing.

Data convergence and Internet access to the data would be within reach no matter where you are in the United States, (eventualy the world), as long as there is an electrical line coming to the area. The other thing many miss is telephone and cable access in parts of the Midwest are virtually non existent. This changes that.

Looking at the recent Live 8 concert, had this technology been fully implemented anyone with a cell phone or pda could have watched and listened from anywhere in the world. They could have chosen which channel of the concert they wanted to watch at any given moment completely live. There would have been less complaining that many missed the Pink Floyd set due to MTV's poor video coverage.

Every electronic device would then have the capability to think and as well as interface with Internet access and telephone communications. Audio, data, and video brought to the masses and their electronic devices.

Using these technologies could virtually save 1,000s of lives each year. Your circut breaker at home trips on a shorted wire, this send a signal to the home security system of a possible electrical fire, the home security system pin points the short, measures the temperature in the area and monitors the level, as well as in taking data from heat and smoke detectors, once one of these reach the point of escalation needing intervention, the alarm system could call the fire department while signaling the home owner that they or their possessions maybe in danger.

An even better scenario, personal human alarms that are integrated with RFID and Bluetooth where if someone attempts to assault you or abduct you, the alarm can be activated silently alerting the police to your emergency and who using the Lojack technology and GPS can pin point your position at anytime once the alarm is activated enabling them to intervene in a much shorter time.

Taking it a step further with the use of Nanotechnology,data compression, and streaming, eventually any cellphone will be a mini broadcast station fully capable of filming a crime in progress and feeding it to the responding law enforcement personnel via their laptop computers in their police cruiser.

They could film drunk or erratic drivers linking to the police departments video capability and thereby supplying more evidence to build a case for the prosecution. Or EMS on the scene of an accident can transmit live pictures,patient stats, and information to the emergency room of the local hospital(s) allowing them to triage on the scene, and provide better proper medical care.

While that is all very progressive life enhancements I do not want to forgo the entertainment value of such an offering so I offer this for you to ponder.

Your sitting in your cushy leather massaging chair which is equipped with linear speakers again using nano tech to take the sound capability of a 12 " woofer and shrinking it, along wuth the tweeter, and mid-range into a speaker to the size of a penny, yet produces concert hall sound quality, and the speakers are sewn into your chair.

As you are watching whatever current remake of the Stepford Wives is showing during the commercial Papa Johns is being aired and suddenly your stomach growls as you haven't fed yourself lately. You point your remote at the television and click search local and the Google search appliance finds the Papa Johns located on Main Street in your town, pulls up their web based menu while the current TV show airs in split screen, you select your epicurean delight for the evening and once complete a live web cam is activated taking you inside the local Papa John's where the cashier repeats your order to you, up sells the cheesy bread sticks you forgot, and then takes your micro payment from your Google Wallet, which when this occurs closes the web cam and pops up your on line banking screen, allowing you to deduct the payment from your bank account or interfacing with your Quicken Home accounting software.

22 minutes later your eating the PaPa Johns Grand Gluttonous Pizza while never having burnt a calorie in the process nor missing one second of your show.


AAAhhhh it just doesn't get any better than this...

Later

[Mel]

Yes thats a nice fanciful writeup about broadband over PLC (and Power line carrier using tcpip has been with us comercially for a loooong time) but what does it have to do with Google leaving Yahoo and MSN behind?

As I said before it looks like a good commercial investment, but then so did satellite broadband which can give the same or more coverage and bandwidth.

[I, Brian]

Using eletricity cables for telephony is an old idea, but has encountered various problems. I should presume the recent investment suggests the company in question has found a way to tackle at least a few of those. Still, any such technology is likely a while off yet.

[Mel]

Well the technology is no doubt in use in Indiana and Ohio from what I have read, but the enabling legislation allowing it to be used for public transmissions was just OK'd by the FCC in October of last year.

There are many problems to overcome, both physical and political, but it does seem that it might solve the last mile problem in some cases, even if the speeds it will deliver are not really as fast as normal DSL.

[JEC]

Originally Posted by Mel

Yes thats a nice fanciful writeup about broadband over PLC (and Power line carrier using tcpip has been with us comercially for a loooong time) but what does it have to do with Google leaving Yahoo and MSN behind?

As I said before it looks like a good commercial investment, but then so did satellite broadband which can give the same or more coverage and bandwidth.

Mel, I think where this leaves Yahoo and MSN behind is the fact that once this becomes available to everyone at a cheaper price and faster speed than dial up, why wouldn't you want to switch ISP's from AOL, MSN, or Yahoo to Google? If you'd rather hang around for slower speeds and higher prices, then hey, knock yourself out.

You may be right about satellite broadband having the same coverage, but you forgot about the enormous price tag associated with it. With the satellite option, you need to have the receiver installed and then pay an outrageous fee to download from it. In most cases, if not all, you still had to rely on a phone line for upstream coverage so you were still using dial up. Doesn't sound like a very worthwhile plan for the cost to me.

PLC or BPL already has the infrastructure in place and basically all you will need is a simple converter to plug into the wall. I'd much rather pay $15 - $20 a month for service that will be significantly faster than dial up and cost less than traditional dial up, DSL or broadband. This of course is assuming that Google will put out a modest price. Perhaps they won't, but it could happen. I think eventually this whole power line thing will work out all of the kinks just like the industry does with everything else and this will prove to be a valuable resource.

Maybe the patent isn't about this at all, but about something else entirely. But IMHO, if this is headed where we are eluding it's heading to, I could see it having a lot of potential.

JEC

[Rob]

Remember Google's mission statement:

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

What better way than making internet access a commodity like power or water?

Then the information would be more accessible.

[JEC]

Originally Posted by Rob

Remember Google's mission statement:

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

What better way than making internet access a commodity like power or water?

Then the information would be more accessible.

Very nicely put.

JEC

[hardball]

well, Kind of a doh! thing here but what makes anyone think that AOL et al won't be entering the market if it makes sense? I don't think google owns the technology or anything. This arena has commodity written all over it, not exactly a cash king.

Google just bought a jeep! Say good bye to the postal service!

[Rob]

You are right, but what if Google pulls an AOL and gives free cd's with browser and google software bundled into one - all you have to do is insert the disc and it configures your computer for you with the G flavored browser, Gmail etc. along with setting up your powerline ISP.

It's really going to be the first to market with this new service that could win. And since Google has invested in the technology, they should be one of the first to know when it will be widely available to the public.

[hardball]

My bet is on Wimax. Why plug into anything?

[JEC]

Originally Posted by hardball

My bet is on Wimax. Why plug into anything?

Because believe it or not, there are still people out there that don't use wireless connectivity and will probably not be savvy enough to invest in the technology for economic and technical reasons. A lot of homes only have one computer still and therefore wireless connectivity serves no purpose. As time moves on, most of these homes will probably obtain more machines, unless they are not in a financial position to do so. Sure machines are getting cheaper, but if you don't have the money, it doesn't matter how cheap the machine is.

JEC

[SEO1]

Hi again

JEC I think you summed it up very well.

Rob your adding in the Google mission statement adds the real meaning as to why.

While Google doesn't own the technology they are "first to market" for all intent s and purposes. They also are better financially situated to roll this out nationwide in one very quick coup de grace, and let the rest play catch up if they can.

Another thing I see is Google knows quite a bit about venture capital now and the ROI associated with funding a hugely successful venture. Though I doubt that is where they are headed.

As for the satellite arguement besides the obvious need for the telephone line , from my own personal experience with the TV side ...dont let it snow or rain too hard,,,,,what picture??

Pipe it out to the masses, follow the lead of several progressive state and municipal governments and make it free, build a huge portal, laugh all the way to the bank.

Ohhh and another thing I just thought of, what are the ramifications on the cell phone industry as well as the implications for mobile search ?

<-----makes note to call broker to buy shares in electric utilities....Dump Verizon.....

Peace

[hardball]

IBM and Utilities get in the game.

Can you say commodity

Google can't CS a 6 figure Adwords account, how well do you you think they could handle those weenie subscribers who need help?

How come the CD won't fit in the floppy drive? lol

[SEO1]

Umm

Your using the wrong size CD

Try the minidisc this works well

For humerous exploits a piece of precut american cheese fits in the floppy drive quite nicely since it is now virtually useless for anything else.

An added bonus is the heat melts the cheese nicely, if you like floppy melts, or floppy bacon and cheese.

[JEC]

Originally Posted by hardball

Google can't CS a 6 figure Adwords account, how well do you you think they could handle those weenie subscribers who need help?

Seems like the potential for a customer call center(s) is around the corner. Call centers are sure to spring up and that will lead to some employment for many individuals. I only hope that they will keep this local instead of off-shoring it. It would be great for domestic growth and the economy. And I'm really tired of calling tech support and not being able to understand the person I'm speaking to without some level of difficulty. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I'm sure we have all had this experience.

JEC

[SEO1]

Hi JEC

Check out this well written piece. Offshore outsourcing is biting many in the pocket

http://www.cio.com/archive/090103/money.html

Clint

[JEC]

Originally Posted by SEO1

Hi JEC

Check out this well written piece. Offshore outsourcing is biting many in the pocket

http://www.cio.com/archive/090103/money.html

Clint

Great article. Let's hope Google does more homework when they think about all of the possibilities.

JEC