April 25th, 2007
Google piggybacks on Intel: What about Intuit?
Google: Technology driven or people driven? I debated upon the Google DoubleClick deal announcement to conclude:
Google may have billions of cash to spare (thanks to its automated advertising system), and give away free lunches to its employees so they never leave their work at the Googleplex for food or drink, but the King of Internet advertising is not planning on realizing its mission of controlling the world’s advertising, profitably, by schmoozing with clients one-on-one.
How WILL Google aim to control the world's advertising profitably, sooner rather than later?
By convincing leading technology companies to try and convince their customers to buy Google AdWords. Intel announcement today, case in big point:
Intel has created a new virtual marketing storefront for its reseller channel and has also collaborated with Google to create an advertising program where resellers can place online ads.
The new initiative will provide qualified members of Intel's reseller channel network the resources and support to plan and execute marketing campaigns for their businesses. There will be a suite of tools to support online advertising with Google, allowing reseller customers to go online and order ads by filing out a simple order form. Intel and Google will then facilitate the production and execution to simplify the process for the customer.
Sound familiar? Perhaps a bit like "Intuit and Google Forge Alliance"?
What was the blogosphere unanimous (and unimaginative) reaction to that supposedly groundbreaking announcement last September?:
"Major local search marketing partnership": Search Engine Watch
"Major Intuit/Google partnership": TechCrunch
"Intuit & Google partnership–Huge for Google" Search Engine Roundtable
What was my reaction? Google QuickBooks 2007: Death of Yellow Pages, local newspapers? NO! I said:
Google has been unsuccessful to date in capturing the small business advertising market on its own and in collaboration with a direct sales partner; Its alliance with Intuit does not present itself as a sure fire way to improve its track record.
Contrary to Schmidt’s beliefs, savvy small businesses are not waiting impatiently for Google to give them a turnkey desktop icon enabling Google to fetch all of their company financial information to do what it likes with.
Contrary to Schmidt’s beliefs, savvy small businesses are not waiting impatiently for Google to give them a turnkey icon on their desktop so they can get sucked into the Google-centric AdWords raise your bid continuously auction scheme.
I concluded: At the end of the Google day, QuickBooks may even prove to be Google’s third strike in its small business market at bat.
And it is, as I reiterated just yesterday in HP to Google, Intuit: It’s OUR small business cloud, too!
What has Intuit gotten for handing over prime QuickBooks real estate to hawk AdWords on Google's behalf? Nothing!
Did Paul Otellini, Intel CEO, get the lowdown from Steve Bennett, Intuit CEO, before inking his deal with Google CEO Eric Schmidt? Apparently not.
Google may be getting iniside Intel, but Intel may be getting inside one big future Googley letdown.
ALSO: Watch out Google? Yellow Pages meets Del.icio.us in YellowBot and
Google buys Marratech e-meeting startup: Nerd paradise? and
Google vs. Microsoft Office? Not yet! and
Google vs. Microsoft Office? Yay! Google Spreadsheets gets charts and
Should Google really buy Intuit? and
Intuit: Bad with YouTube, REALLY bad with IRS
