Mobile isn't exactly a sure thing for Googlenews analysis Google sees mobile as its future, but the company's success in the mobile realm may not be a slam dunk.
Back to basics with searchGoogle first came on the scene a decade ago with a new search algorithm that could serve up better and more relevant content to users than had ever been done before. So while other companies, such as Alta Vista and Yahoo, had been in the search business for years before Google came along, it was this giant leap forward in the user experience that catapulted the company to success.It is not surprising that search was one of the first tools that Google adapted for cell phones. And by most accounts the tool works fine. When used with the Google Maps application, mobile users can even search for local restaurants and get directions to each establishment. But critics of Google's mobile search tool say its results aren't always as relevant as results from a desktop Google search. Another common complaint is that Google provides search results from regular Web pages and tries to trans-code them for mobile phones. Often these sites don't render well on certain phones. Yahoo Go, a similar application, is considered more robust and more user-friendly than Google's search tool. "Yahoo has been far more aggressive than Google in doing business development relationships with handset makers around the world and thus has more direct handset and carrier deals," said Greg Sterling, principal of Sterling Market Intelligence. "Of the two companies, Yahoo is probably farther along in some respects than Google is." Google is also limited in the information it can gather about a subscriber's usage patterns and location because carriers are unwilling to share subscriber data, said Jorey Ramer, founder and vice president of corporate development for JumpTap, a company that provides mobile search and advertising software used by mobile operators to develop their own search services. JumpTap, which is currently working with 16 carriers around the world, is able to access this user data because it collaborates directly with these carriers, Ramer said. Google, on the other hand, could become a direct competitor to carriers, including Verizon Wireless and AT&T, if it wins spectrum licenses in the 700MHz spectrum auction now being conducted by the Federal Communications Commission. What's more, Google's business model depends on its consumer brand and its direct relationship with consumers. Ceding too much control to Google makes carriers nervous because they don't want their services to become commoditized. "Carriers appear less likely in the near term to partner with the portals (such as Google) because they know what they will have to give up in exchange," said Brian Cowley, chief executive of mobile ad provider Ad Infuse. Tracking advertisingGoogle has also adapted some advertising products to mobile, including its AdSense program, which matches ads to a site's content, and AdWords, which matches key words in ads with search results. These services work well on a mobile platform, according to Google. But the problem is that their results are difficult to track, which means advertisers or Web site owners may not be able to tell the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns.One reason is that "cookies"--the little digital tags that are left on a computer when someone searches or clicks on a Web page--expire much sooner on cell phones than they do on PCs. Sometimes they are even blocked entirely by certain carriers. And most handsets are shipped with cookies disabled by default. Without these digital tags, it's hard to track clicks. |
- Talkback
-
Moving slowly--but still dominant
In an effort to help bridge the gap between the mobile and desktop Internet experiences, Google is developing Android, a new open software platform for cell phones. The idea is that this new software platform will allow Google to more tightly integrate its applications in handsets and services. And should Google succeed in its bid on wireless spectrum, that spectrum could eventually be used to build networks that allow connectivity from any device
Feb 11, 2008 22:58
