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Google Upgrades and Enhancements

November 8, 2007 By

The following is a review of some new capabilities at Google (these were all announced and discussed on the official Google blog):

Better and faster route planning on maps.  Google maps now has dragable directions, and you can also enter guidance and info on Google maps like “avoid highways” or calculate “time-in-traffic”. That’s pretty cool

A new operating system and open architecture for mobile phones has been announced. This is a comprehensive platform for mobile devices that should give a significant boost to innovation in the mobile market. A software development kit will be available 12 November.

A new architecture and framework for social network data exchange has been developed. This is known as “OpenSocial”. This is a set of common API’s that make it easy to create social software. The widespread adaptation of these API’s will make the net a more social place and will make it easier on humans like us. Global members of the OpenSocial community include MySpace, Engage.com, Friendster, hi5, Hyves, imeem, LinkedIn, Ning, Oracle, orkut, Plaxo, Salesforce.com, Six Apart, Tianji, Viadeo, and XING.

These are just three of a long line of capabilities coming out from these guys.  Capabilities are also continuously being added to other elements of the Google platform.  For example, Google documents is frequently being upgraded, and since the capabilities of Google Docs are delivered as a web service, the upgrade is automatic and painless.

Google has come a long long way from just a search company.

But there are more significant points for CTOs.  For example, since these many capabilties are just some recent examples, are we starting to become numb to the news of new things from Google?  Each of the items mentioned above as recent Google capabilities have the potential of being very disruptive to the current web services world.  But how can we analyze or assess the potential disruption if we have become so numb to the news?

And another thought:  What if the rate of innovation or even the rate of perceived innovation slows down from Google?  We have become hooked on the frequent announcement of incredible new capabilities.  What will we do when the announcements slow?

But, as an enterprise technologist, my biggest question is always “when will the capabilities being fielded by Google be available inside the enterprise?  On behalf of users everywhere, I hope the answer is “soon.”

Some references to the above:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/road-to-better-path-finding.html

http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2007/06/its-click-drag-situation.html

http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/developers.html

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/opensocial-makes-web-better.html

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  • http://www.jackbe.com Mark Milligan

    Google's depth of talent, and attracting talent, and their advertising model are breath-taking and formidable.
    I only worry about their ability to stay focused on building a great company, and not fall down on being spread thin.
    To enterprise selling, it would take a different marketing and sales model, to do that. They are structured for efficient selling – web selling that is. Enterprise selling would entail more people on the street, etc.

  • http://profile.typekey.com/ctovision/ Bob Gourley

    Mark,
    I agree with you totally about their impressive ability to attract talent. I think you make another good point about a potential problem in the future. All companies decline sooner or later. I met with representatives of a great company that is 350 years old last week, and that company is doing pretty well. But that company is unusual for its long term success. Most companies seem to have an arc. Like K-Mart, which was once the retailing powerhouse, but then fell in to significant decline. Or compUSA, which was my favorite hang out, but is now closing stores all over the place. I can't predict when that will happen to Walmart, or even how it might happen to them, but one day it probably will.
    But what about Google? Will they be there in 350 years?
    Cheers,
    Bob Gourley