What Wed Like to See from Google Before 2009

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 2009By Clint Boulton

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20091. AndroidHave rumors of its demise been greatly exaggerated? More than a month after reports that phones based on the mobile operating system wouldn’t see the light of day, new evidence from FCC filings shows that the HTC Dream based on Android can go on sale Nov. 10. With Apple’s iPhone in hot demand, Google can’t afford not to deliver Android phones before year’s end.

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20092. OpenSocial Used in Google AppsGoogle likes to talk about consumer technologies bleeding over into the enterprise. Show us. In June, Google Product Apps Manager Rishi Chandra told us his team would apply OpenSocial APIs to Google Apps such as Calendar, Gmail and Docs. We want to see Google’s Apps team eat some of the OpenSocial dog food to make the applications more collaborative and useful between friends.

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20093. Settle the YouTube SuitViacom sued Google because its YouTube unit includes copyrighted Comedy Central content and other Viacom content uploaded by users. This suit has ugly written all over it and Google may ultimately have to pay royalties to satiate the conglomerate. If not, kiss Google’s video monetization efforts goodbye.

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20094. Monetize YouTubeAssuming settling with Viacom is not a prerequisite for making money from video ads, Google really needs to step up its YouTube monetization efforts. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said neither Google nor anyone has figured out the slam dunk to getting users to click on ads. Prerolls, overlays and in-video ads have all had different results. Some proclaim video to be one of the next green fields for online advertising; Google needs to solve this puzzle before someone else does.

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20095. Mobile, Social AdsWe see mobile and social network advertising as major online ad opportunities. So do Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Facebook and MySpace, for that matter. Yet progress has been painfully slow. Google co-founder Larry Page has said on earnings conference calls that social ads are challenging. Others have said social ads will never work. Meanwhile, these vendors also need to solve the quandary of the stingy third-screen on smart phones, where mobile ad placement is slight. We expect Google, with its wealth of ad resources, to light the way in the latter half of 2008.

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20096. Google Web ServicesGoogle App Engine was a big step forward in the company’s cloud computing march, and an inch in the direction of competing with Amazon Web Services to offer cloud computing infrastructure. With its alleged 1 million servers and deep bench of technical experts, I’d like Google to challenge AWS by offering computing and storage infrastructure for businesses at large. If it doesn’t, Microsoft or Yahoo may.

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20097. Upgrade SearchThere are a number of startups focusing on more social search or even deep Web search. Wikia, Powerset (acquired by Microsoft) and Cuil are differentiating from Google. These sites are far from eating Google’s lunch; most are lucky if they can afford to buy lunch. But Google could learn a thing or two about getting better at helping people find stuff beyond just the surface. Universal Search is fine, but Google can do more to retain and increase its 70 percent market share.

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20098. Reconcile Privacy Issues with the GovernmentGoogle needs to preserve its secret sauce in search to keep rivals at bay. Google also needs to be somewhat transparent. How much of our content does Google sift through? What is it using it for? Privacy advocates claim “too much” and “targeted behavioral advertising,” respectively. Google denies both. While the company may have kept the Bush administration at bay during its rise to power, the new president and Congress may not be so lenient. Expect Google to offer more than tent revivals as we head toward the election season. Expect more disclosure and compromise.

What We’d Like to Seefrom Google Before 20099. Retain Its Key EmployeesYou’re only as good as your people, or so some leaders are fond of saying. What do Gideon Yu, Ethan Beard, Justin Rosenstein, Ben Ling, Sheryl Sandberg and Elliot Schrage have in common? They all vacated key roles at Google for Facebook. Though it is rumored Ling is returning to work on the aforementioned YouTube monetization efforts, Google needs to stop hemorrhaging talent if it wants to continue to be as dynamic as it has previously proven itself.

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