Google Buys JotSpot
Google continues to roll on with another acquisition. It just gobbled up JotSpot. And now the wiki service will be free and integrated with the rest of Google's suite of web-based applications.
JotSpot seems like a good fit for Google. Unlike Socialtext, JotSpot has been moving away from the enterprise and more towards basic online consumer services. Witness for example their class reunion product and future planned launches.
Google seems to be building out an array of basic Web-based applications. One would think they are doing this to create more inventory for serving ads - but they haven't yet. The question is will people want ads inside their apps? Otherwise, how will Google monetize these sites? (Disclosure: Microsoft, which competes with Google, is an Edelman client.)
It will be easy for Google to monetize these acquisitions.
By analyzing a person's email, blogs, wikis, rss feeds, spreadsheets, etc., Google can create a database of intentions. Over time, they will know anything and everything about a person. When they do, they will be able to serve advertising that is so relevant, consumers won't even think of it as advertising. They'll consider it content. And they'll want it.
And Google will be rich.
Posted by: Tim | Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 10:42 AM
Do you really want Google to know everything of you ?
I don't.
Posted by: pepsi | Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 11:46 AM
I sure hope Tim is wrong. And Steve, the disclosure shows excellent ethical behaviour. Thank you!
Posted by: Lewis Green | Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 03:07 PM
Wow. So that leaves SocialText, Confluence and eTouch SamePage to fight it out over the enterprise space.
Tim mentioned the database of intentions. While that sounds good at first blush, I wonder about Google's privacy policy. I bet enterprises will be spooked away from Google JotSpot.
Posted by: jota | Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 06:51 PM
Pepsi,
If you won't want Google to know everything about you (of course they won't know EVERYTHING), just don't use their applications.
Posted by: Tom F | Wednesday, November 01, 2006 at 02:02 AM
I don't mind on-topic ads in a great free app from a company I trust. Heck, I actually find myself reading the ads in my Gmail.
Posted by: Mike Abundo | Wednesday, November 01, 2006 at 09:08 AM