Google IM?

[Natoma]

Interesting.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9050519/

Google Inc. is set to introduce its own instant messaging system, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, marking the expansion by the Web search leader into text and also voice communications. Citing unnamed sources "familiar with the service," the Los Angeles Times said that Google's Instant Messaging program would be called Google Talk and could be launched as early as Wednesday.

In entering the hotly competitive messaging market, Google would be going up against some familiar rivals: AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft. AOL is by far the dominant leader in the market, with some 40 million users of its AIM and ICQ brands. Yahoo has around 20 million and Microsoft's MSN Messenger numbers some 14 million users, according to recent comScore Media Metrix data. (MSNBC is a Microsoft - NBC joint venture.)


Despite longtime promises of interoperability, however, users of each IM service are mostly confined to talking only with fellow users of the same service. Some programs, such as Trillian or Jabber, do work with multiple services, but their user base is much smaller.

Google Talk also would go beyond the text-based IM to let users hold voice conversations with other computer users, the newspaper quoted a source as saying.

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the company's product plans.

If confirmed, the combined computer text and voice-calling service would put Google in competition with a similar service pioneered by Skype, which has attracted tens of millions of users, especially in Europe, to its own service. Skype can be used on any modern PC with speakers and a microphone, but many people plug in headsets to their computers to make the process more "phone-like."

 

[silence]

Google is gaining foot on many fronts.... i am much more curious about "Google Browser" rumors, one that is supposed to be based on Firefox....
Now that would be intersting to see.... IE vs. "Google Browser"

Offcourse, this one will be interesting too and i think its just matter of time before Google starts eating market share from M$ in first place in other areas also. They just recentlly got another $4 billion for "aquisitions".....

 

[Natoma]

I was thinking that Google, other than trying to take over the world, may integrate embedded text ads into your IM conversations. I use trillian pro 3, and it scans your IMs for words/phrases that match a wiki definition. If it finds one, it dotted underlines it and makes it clickable to that wiki page. If you mouse over it for a couple of seconds, it loads the wiki definition.

Talk to your friend about fly fishing and you may get a text ad that links to a paid sponsor about that very topic.

It'll be interesting to see what interface they've come up with, especially considering they usually go for the minimalist design.

 

[silence]

I have no doubt that Google will have some sort of ads there... funny thing is that Google is currentlly gathering more personal data then any other company in the world and it has "good guy" image. Thats where M$ failed and i think Google learned from their mistakes.

As i said, interesting times are ahead.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4172654.stm
Google tool watches as you work

 

[Guden Oden]

funny thing is that Google is currentlly gathering more personal data then any other company in the world and it has "good guy" image. Thats where M$ failed and i think Google learned from their mistakes.

This is probably because google's up-front with what they do, they haven't like MS hidden away clauses in their eula that they own anything and everything sent across "their" messenger network for example, and that they're allowed to use that information for any purpose they see fit...

People distrust microsoft like they would distrust a rabid dog staring at you, and with good reason. Though what MS wants isn't your blood, but what's in your wallet, the end result is essentially the same anyway.

 

[epicstruggle]

I have no doubt that Google will have some sort of ads there... funny thing is that Google is currentlly gathering more personal data then any other company in the world and it has "good guy" image. Thats where M$ failed and i think Google learned from their mistakes.

There was a google thread a few months back. I noted that google knows more about you then any govermnent agency. I dont understand why others dont see how google can on a dime turn from good guy to bad guy.

epic

 

[silence]

There was a google thread a few months back. I noted that google knows more about you then any govermnent agency. I dont understand why others dont see how google can on a dime turn from good guy to bad guy.

epic

IMO, cause they saw what that did to M$. their "good guy" image is what makes them different in eyes of many. just look at this -> while "google" became verb to serach for something on net, M$ became sinonymus for problems and flawed security....

i bet if google started some sort of survey, people would give their personal data without thinking, while if M$ tried same survey there would outcry about evil M$ and their devilish plans....

people simply see google as friendly, while M$ is seen as big greedy corporation... true evil in modern world....