Another step of Google to rule the web

Chrome browser: Next step of Google to rule the web? Picture: blogoscoped.com

SIGNAL: Google has acknowledged the existence of browser “Google Chrome”. It will be released today.

Details e.g. at blogoscoped.com

CONTEXT: Google has grown over the years and became one of the biggest economical power structures worldwide.

It looks as if Google Inc. will go on to shape the world of the beginning 21st century like no other company. Think of market domination in search and online advertising business – at least in most countries. Think of the Android initiative to leave the desktop and come to grips with the growth market of mobile devices. And time to remember the Cassandra words of “Google EPIC 2014″ everyone enjoyed in 2004. Read once again:

In 2014, Googlezon unleashes EPIC, the Evolving Personalized Information Construct, which pays users to contribute any information they know into a central grid, allowing the system to automatically create news tailored to individuals, entirely without journalists. (Wikipedia).

Today we have not that envisioned Googlezon (Google-Amazon) monster of the EPIC kind – but, yes, there are six long years until 2014 … What we actually have is:

  • Half-right forecast: We have lot of uploading of user-generated value; users are not paid with money but with the currencies of attention and reputation
  • Personalization as forecasted – from iGoogle to Netvibes or personalized rss readers
  • Media crisis (print + TV), debate about journalists as endangered species
  • Not forecasted: Amazon’s digital goods strategy: the hardware platform Kindle offers some interesting possibilities in the future
  • Not forecasted: Google’s attack at Microsoft (and Mozilla?) with todays release of Chrome

Folks this is the operating system war in full action. One between Microsoft and Google. …. Google’s browser is just that – a competitive strategy to maintain their stronghold and defend their current search offering. furrier.org

RELEVANCE: With the browser initiative Google is not only attacking Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, but Google is setting the agenda to penetrate the “web’s ecosystem” on a more fundamental level. The browser as interface is a strategic point with new control options. Maybe this is an other wakeup call for the web and media business – and some political regulators.

Update 2008-09-02: Forgot an important link: Official Google Blog: A fresh take on the browser
Maybe the download will start with the next “innocent announcement” post at Official Google Blog. BTW hang your antenna into the twitterverse and you see a lot of guys analyzing the move as comeback of (cold) browser war – so Google reminds me a bit of the Kaukasus issue, just a silly coincidence! http://search.twitter.com/search?q=chrome+browser+war