TrendsSpotting has collected Influencers Predictions on Tech and IT trends for 2009.
Read what’s ahead for Google, Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo, review forecasts concerning technology and gadgets (we’ve been waiting for trend reports coming from CES 2009), IT, and Green Technology – all considering the economic crisis implications.
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It seems Google is starting to realize that any attempt to keep secrets is pretty futile in today’s era of transparency.
The latest proof of this wake-up call is its announcement that it will eliminate 100 jobs from its recruiting department.
Our first step to address this was to wind down almost all our contracts with external contractors and vendors providing recruiting services for Google. However, after much consideration, we have with great regret decided that we need to go further and reduce the overall size of our recruiting organization by approximately 100 positions.
Which makes me wonder; just how big is Google’s recruiting organization anyway? 100 positions is a lot, so how many do they have left in that department?
In addition, Google is closing many engineering locations and those folks my be also be without a job.
This seems like the kind of news that Google wouldn’t have previously announced, but when you consider that rumors are still circulating that Microsoft might layoff as many as 15,000 people, it seems Google would prefer we all know the actual number, than let speculation run wild.
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Military intelligence. Jumbo shrimp. Business ethics. All classic oxymorons. For those of us in the internet marketing 
biz probably the most obvious one is Microsoft Search.
In light of the changes that have just occurred at Yahoo! there is renewed talked about what will happen to the Yahoo! search business. If there are rumors then there has to be mention of Microsoft. Today’s WSJ has a very in depth story that outlines the history of misses and mistakes that makes up Microsoft’s foray into the search business.
Today, we all can agree that Live Search is not exactly a market leader. They are the red-headed stepchild of the search industry (my apologies to all redheads reading this). In fact, the idea of Live Search still brings up reactions like “Microsoft does search?” to “Microsoft can’t do search.” to “Microsoft should stop trying to do search.” and all stops in between. As the article shows though, it’s not for lack of trying.
If you want the details you should check out the article. I’ll hit the high points for you. First, the opportunities that have been completely whiffed on by Microsoft to enter the search market are huge to say the least. Steve Ballmer has been at the center of all of them for the most part. In 2000 the company shut down its competitive product to the fledgling Google after only two month due to the concern that they would cannibalize other revenue streams. Huh? That one must look pretty stupid this far away in the rear view mirror. Second, there are numerous derailings, misreads and missteps that have occurred that have been well documented. While the past is not pretty the immediate future looks less than rosy as well.
Now admittedly this is a long quote but it says a lot so read on:
Mr. Ballmer is facing many challenges over the next year. A worsening economy is forcing him to consider cutting workers to an unprecedented degree in coming days. There’s no guarantee that a deal for Yahoo’s Web-search business would propel the company to the forefront of a rapidly changing industry, where competitors include “vertical search” engines for specialty areas such as health care. Many industry experts say Google’s present service may ultimately be seen as a primitive precursor to more-advanced services that better handle video or render results in three-dimensions. Microsoft, Yahoo and Google are all investing in such areas (emphasis added).
This is a pretty interesting line to toss in the middle of this history lesson on Microsoft’s search mishaps. If industry experts are right that the current Google model is indeed a primitive precursor what does that mean to internet marketers and maybe more importantly when?
Here’s your chance to be the search industry prognosticator that you know you are. Would it benefit Microsoft to buy a soon to be antiquated model with Yahoo! Search? Is there someone lurking in the shadows to be the next Google or are all efforts futile to unseat the royalty of the search world since Google will define the next generation of search anyway? So many questions and so many opinions.
Looking forward to your thoughts. Have a great weekend and try to stay warm.
Today’s search engine marketing news and opinion: Don’t Overlook These Link Building Opportunities; Three Major Announcements from Microsoft Regarding Live Search; Yahoo Gets Into the TV Business (Kinda), While TiVo Gets Into Search (Sorta); and more.
Wednesday, Wednesday—can’t trust that day.
I doubt that anyone (aside from maybe Sue Decker, the Yahoo President who announced her resignation in the official announcement of the new CEO) envies Yahoo’s new CEO, Carol Bartz. It’s going to take more than just business acumen to turn around the company’s failing fortunes—but does Bartz have what it takes?
Popular opinion is divided so far. Henry Blodget is pretty excited about her take-charge attitude and her track record of turning a failing company around.
The more we learn about Carol, the less she seems like the safe choice and the more she seems like the smart choice. We LOVED her attitude on yesterday’s short introductory conference call:
In Yahoo’s conference call this afternoon, she lectured everyone sternly to give Yahoo some “friggin’ breathing room” and also noted that the company “frankly, could use a little management.” (Swisher)
You go, girl.
John Paczkowski of All Things Digital calls Bartz “The ALL CAPS CEO” (as opposed to Jerry Yang, the “ceo”), but notes that some feel she doesn’t have enough experience with consumers or advertising.
Reuters says she lacks Web and deal-making experience.
Bartz, however, does not have an established reputation as a deal-maker and Yahoo investors regarded her appointment skeptically, with shares of the Internet search and advertising company dropping more than 3 percent during the trading day. . .
She is credited with increasing Autodesk’s revenue from $285 million to $1.5 billion during her 14-year tenure, as well as diversifying its business. Bartz, 60, built the company by buying small and medium-sized businesses, including a $444 million buyout of Discreet Logic in 1999.
“She seems to me to be more of a builder than a buyer-and-flipper,” Davis said. “I’m sure that plenty of people wanted to buy Autodesk over the years.”
Analysts lauded her for being a dextrous, capable and committed executive, but said that without any experience in the Internet sector, she would likely find it daunting to turn around Yahoo, which is a distant second to Google Inc in the search advertising market.
Reuters appears to look at her appointment as a sign that Yahoo will not be selling to Microsoft, instead opting to try to turn the company around on its own (and there seems to be some implication that this is a bad thing).
Now, none of us can predict the future, but from what we know about Carol Bartz, what do you think the new CEO means for Yahoo’s future?
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A deal is designed to make it easier for media planners and buyers to integrate ad campaigns that include mobile and other digital media.
Today’s search engine marketing news and opinion: Don’t Overlook These Link Building Opportunities; Three Major Announcements from Microsoft Regarding Live Search; Yahoo Gets Into the TV Business (Kinda), While TiVo Gets Into Search (Sorta); and more.
A deal is designed to make it easier for media planners and buyers to integrate ad campaigns that include mobile and other digital media.
As internet marketers we tend to concentrate on Google and its product set. Makes perfect sense considering Google is 
the undisputed King of the Online World.
What’s interesting to see is what Google does as a business. The Yahoo! news site ran an Associated Press story that says the AP ‘obtained’ a copy of the regulatory filing that Google filed December 15, 2008 and it revealed some interesting things about the company and what is going on there.
First, it’s interesting that it was filed in paper form only. This practice avoids the online aggregators of these public records from being able to post the filing through their normal channels. I suspect these folks will have it sooner than later but the intentionality of Google providing the filing this way is curious. Trying to fly under the radar? Who knows.
The area of biggest speculation is what Google is doing to navigate the economic doldrums we find ourselves in. Google’s Sergey Brin noted back in October that the company had roughly 10,000 interns, contractors and temporary workers in its ranks but this filing only talks of 4,300. Some conjecture circles around whether there have been large cuts on this side of Google’s workforce. Google spokeswoman, Jane Penner has said that the 4,300 number is just a subset of the 10,000 so it would be incorrect to see the difference in these two numbers as a trimming of staff and workers. Spin, spin, spin.
One thing that Google has assured everyone is that they will not be cutting back on research and development. In fact some of the document was not made public due to its contents containing trade secrets. That’s good to hear. Unfortunately for the ‘Googlers’ in Mountain View that has come at the expense of many perks that Google has become famous for including company-wide cash bonuses (the poor staffers had to suffer through a free Android phone gift this year) and some food services.
From a pure business perspective the other area that the company is seeking to improve in is what to do with the $14 billion in cash they currently have. Right now, Google is not exempt from using its money in ways that other big players like Microsoft and Yahoo! are. Google is looking for the ability to use their money in ways that can provide greater returns without being considered its own mutual fund.
While Google is the best and the brightest (for the most part due to their tremendous influence) in enabling people to do business and make a living it is still a company. I think it might be to all of our benefits to remember that and watch what they are up to in that role. Maybe we’ll learn something.
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