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Brin mentioned that AOL also has "their own technology" which AOL uses to mix in other content like "localised" information.
AOL is talking about making search integral to "their whole service" among their 35,000,000 customers.
Strategically, this is google's first and more importantly major jump into the real mass market b to c market, a market that is important to MS. The problem is that the search part of MSN now, more than ever, is exposed by comparison, as being lacking in quality and utility. MS is pulling in their usual spin doctor strategy, - good stuff from a marketing and branding view (basically spinning your good points aggressively and refusing to talk about your bad points) - It has invariably worked for them in the past. But how longer can th public be fooled by spin?
The part I found REALLY interesting was Brin in one of his 2 only soundbites (the presenter was actually distracted by AOL SEC problems and shifted focus onto that after the intro), stating that AOL would be placing their own listings in their SERPS. I didnt think ever that AOLGoggle would be pure google. It didnt make sense whatever way I looked at it, but many here belieived they would be (or should be). So it was interesting to see the boss confirming it.
Hmmmmm .... I'm wondering how commercialized that "localised" information is. Anyone seen some of the AOL-sourced results in the search results?
I would think the Yahoo partnership was a rather profound venture into B2C for Google, certainly many millions of users discovered Google that way.
MSN searchers, much like everyone else, hear it from the grapevine mostly, "Try Google once." MS can spin all they want, but to no avail. The only way to compete is to improve the product.
I found an article (yesterday, in AOL News, copyrighted, or I would have posted it) that Inktomi valuation is less than the cash it has in the bank. The investors are stampeding away from MSN's web search supplier. Inktomi is in major trouble.
Spin away, MSN!
