Google Is Going To Take Over The World

This is great news from Google that really exemplifies my point a few days ago about web based applications being the future of "productivity" technology. Why store something on a computer I can only access in one location when I can store it on a secure server that I can access from anywhere with practically zero downtime? 

Unfortunately, the current state of broadband in North America is not ready to support the grandiose ideas of the smartest programmers/web developers on the planet... Well, I think it's no surprise that Google is already working on a solution... they will host their own internet services! 

See more details here:

http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi

There's a few things I like about this... first of all, they are doing pilots to really learn their way into an industry that they don't fully understand. This cautious optimism is nice to see from a super successful company like Google ripe with cash to blow. Secondly, Google has had a long standing stance on net-neutrality, which rocks. For those of you who aren't familiar with net neutrality, its basically the concept that no one should control what you can and cannot see online... 1st amendment lovers unite! Seriously though... Google net neutrality and read up on it... its important.

There will always be the naysayers... "Oh, Google is going to have a monopoly on all of our online services and now they will even have a monopoly on the internet itself." 

Newsflash... Google already owns some serious face, and guess what, big companies with big market only get their by being better than their competition. Besides, we let way worse monopolies (or in practice oligopolies) everyday... Would anyone care to fill up their car with some oil from a non-oligopoly company? Better get out your french fry oil!

Here's how I see it. People want faster internet with more capacity... hell, in my student house of 6 people we had to upgrade to the business internet from Cogeslow just so that we wouldn't go over our limit every month! The demand is there, Google is trying to figure out how to fill it... which just happens to be a complimentary (and necessary) business in order to grow their core business of selling advertising. More to traffic to Google sites = more ad revenue. It's a simple equation, and if at the end of the day it means faster internet with more capacity to take on the web tools of tomorrow... count me in.