Googles Investitionen: Erfolgreich dank Experimentierfreude

Lesenswerter Artikel in der LA Times über die Investitionen von Google:

Über Android:

Consider Google's mobile strategy. Google caused a stir on Wall Street in 2005 when it bought a tiny start-up in Palo Alto called Android. But Google gobbled up a wealth of talent, including co-founder Andy Rubin, and software that is now giving Apple Inc.'s iPhone a run for its money.

Über YouTube:

Equally baffling to observers was the $1.65 billion that Google paid for video-sharing site YouTube in 2006, a blockbuster all-stock payout for an 18-month-old start-up that drove values of other technology companies into the stratosphere. Now YouTube, increasingly popular with marketers, is playing a big role in Google's growing display advertising business. It has 2 billion views of videos with ads each week.

Über Keyhole/Google Earth:

And analysts could not fathom why Google bought a small satellite mapping company called Keyhole in 2004. Today Google Earth has turned millions of users into world explorers, giving them a bird's-eye view of the planet through detailed satellite imagery.

Der Suchmaschinenexperte John Battelle wird mit folgenden Worten zitiert:

"We should be pleased we have a company that is throwing spaghetti at the wall."

(via)