It's official: Google Talk is go: Windows-only instant messaging and internet telephony, linked in with Gmail. In today's Guardian, Jack says that its part of a power play:
These services are designed to help Google move from being merely a search engine to a web portal that competes with similar offerings from Yahoo! and MSN. Portals provide utilities such as mail and messaging that keep users on the site, as opposed to search, which sends them elsewhere.
Google's launch of an instant messaging service had been widely predicted, but two things make it unusual. First, it is based mainly on open standards, rather than being closed and proprietary. Second, the offering includes internet telephony using voice over internet protocol technology.
Internet telephony is already a common addition to instant messaging services, but Google Talk appears strong enough to compete with industry leader Skype.
In the Financial Times, analysts are quoted as saying that Google will likely find it difficult to quickly build a network that can rival the existing instant messaging networks. I'm not so sure: look how quickly GMail changed the game in webmail - despite being invite-only.
The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, has an analysis piece suggesting that the recent issue of $4bn more shares is simply intended to capitalise on the company's high value at the moment - because they're waiting for a market turndown. "In recent months, the top Googlers have sold off nearly $3bn of their own holdings," writes Alan Murray. "They also have been changing their compensation plans, moving away from reliance on stock options. [...] If that isn't evidence enough that Google is preparing for the bubble to burst - or at least deflate a bit - then the new stock offering should be."
I'm not sure how accurate that is (very few people get much from inside the Googleplex) but even if they expect things to break down, they're not showing it. Talk is its biggest direct challenge to Google's rivals - and a clear challenge to the likes of Microsoft. But it's proof, if proof were needed, that we're talking corporate business here: will the backlash really begin?
