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市场分析机构揣测google最近举动称社交战略意图明显

发布时间:2010-08-12 09:19:24 Tags:,,,

据computer world计算机世界综合三大市场咨询机构Gabriel Consulting、Enderle Group和Forrester Research的分析称搜索巨头google正在逐步构建属于自己的社交游戏/网络。

Gabriel Consulting的市场分析师Dan Olds称google并不满足于他们在搜索领域的优势,他们还想在社交网络领域扮演更重要的角色。

goolge

goolge

最近他们刚刚重金并购了应用程序开发商slide和社交虚拟支付公司Jambool开始布局市场。

Forrester Research的市场分析师Augie Ray表示尽管google本身并没有明确表明他们的意图,但是从他们最近的并购行为就可以看出他们的社交战略意图。虽然最近google关闭了旗下的社交网站google wave,但可能更坚定了google以社交游戏来布局他们的社交网站策略。Augie Ray认为社交游戏是社交网站的一张大拼图,可以借此吸引和笼络大量的年轻玩家,此外社交游戏还是能够即时产生大量收益的重要机会。

virtual goods

virtual goods

While the search giant has been engaged in a drawn-out and heated battle with Microsoft, it seems to be prepping for war on yet another front, by taking on social networking behemoth Facebook.

“I think it’s obvious that Google wants to become the primary — if not only — stop on the Internet,” said Dan Olds, an analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group. “Which means they need to not only dominate search, but also to become the biggest player in social networking.”

The Internet has been abuzz with speculation that Google is getting ready to take another plunge into the burgeoning social networking world — this time with an online games focus. Much of the talk is based on the fact that Google recently shelled out $182 million to purchase Slide, which has developed applications for social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

And there’s online chatter that Google has secretly bought Jambool, a company that created a virtual currency payment product called Social Gold. Google did not respond to requests for confirmation.

However, Google’s silence hasn’t stopped industry watchers from piecing together bits of information.

“Google has said little, but their acquisitions and the rumors certainly seem to add up to the conclusion that Google is planning something big in the social networking space,” said Augie Ray, an analyst at Forrester Research. “Thus far, Google has made acquisitions and launched social applications that were largely unconnected from each other and from the core Google consumer experience.

With their next and much-anticipated launch, my expectation is that we’ll see a cohesive offering that moves social into the center of the Google experience.”

The moves feed into speculation that erupted late in June when word started to circulate that Google was working to develop a social networking site that executives hoped would be a Facebook-killer. Google has never confirmed the development of the site, rumored to be dubbed Google Me.

However, Ray said it would be natural for Google to work its way into social networking, and to use the popularity of online games to help it do so. Google’s decision to kill its failed Google Wave social networking and collaboration service means the company has figured out that it needs to go after the booming social networking audience with a really big piece of bait.

And gaming could be that bait, especially for users who have their networks of family and friends already solidified on sites like Facebook.

“It is smart for Google and others to offer gaming elements as part of social strategy for a couple of reasons: First, some people — particularly younger people — enjoy social games, so these games are part of the entire picture for a social network,” say Ray, pointing to Forrester research showing that one in seven adults online plays social games.

“Secondly, social games offer revenue opportunities, including the sale of virtual goods, margins made on social currency purchases and in-game advertising,” he said.

But Ray doubts that Google will base an entire social network on gaming. Instead, games would likely be just part of the overall package.

Rob Enderle, an analyst at Enderle Group, said Google’s less-than-stellar track record so far on social networking leaves him with serious misgivings about another splashy, and most likely expensive, offering.

“Google’s failure rate with these new attempts is rather impressive — and their inability to pull much revenue or profit from even the successful ones [makes that even] more so,” he added. “Given their track record, the odds are not in favor of this working out particularly well.”


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