More on Google-AOL
Om Malik takes an interesting look at the Google-AOL deal, including its implications for Video.
Among other things, the deal will give a boost in the arm to Google’s beleaguered content aggregation efforts for its video search. It has thus far trailed most other video search players (including blinkx, Yahoo! and AOL itself) in acquiring content. This deal gives it a backdoor into the content libraries of AOL’s corporate siblings that include HBO, CNN and New Line Cinema.
Or as Om put it:
Google stands to make a lot of money from video advertising over the Internet… They have been fighting an uphill battle to find a toehold in Hollywood, and well there is no one more old school Beverly Hills than Time Warner. I think this will be the thing that helps the company get some traction for its Google Video business.
IM integration with AOL’s pervasive AIM network is also a huge plus, and a key source of traction in competing with MSN-Yahoo! in the IM space.
From Om:
An interoperability between the two IM networks could soon be enhanced to facilitating between AIM and GTalk users. Add to the mix, other SIP based clients that can talk to GTalk, such as Gizmo Project, well there is an informal VoIM network that starts to form. Google is very ambitious about Gtalk, and I can bet they are working on developing a bigger ecosystem than most people realize.
BusinessWeek’s Olga Kharif also points out that this could not only stimulate more Google Talk usage, but it could go a step further toward interoperability between other IM platforms.
Until now, many Internet users might have hesitated to use Google’s VoIP service for fear that they’d be left out of the communications loop since all of their friends used AOL Instant Messenger (IM). Now, they won’t have to worry about that.
Longer term, I believe that this agreement will push all VoIP industry heavyweights to make their IM-like VoIP services interoperable. Remember, years ago, if you were a Verizon Wireless customer, you could only send short text messages (SMS) to other Verizon customers. You couldn’t send an SMS to Cingular customers. That hampered SMS adoption, and so, eventually, all wireless service providers got together and allowed for cross-carrier texting.
An interesting concept indeed.
