Google - Financial Release

Google reported revenues of $3.87 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2007, an increase of 58% compared to the second quarter of 2006 and an increase of 6% compared to the first quarter of 2007. Google reports its revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting traffic acquisition costs, or TAC. In the second quarter of 2007, TAC totaled $1.15 billion, or 30% of advertising revenues.

Read the official report

Run Your Campaign on Google ... Forever

Yes ... Google forever or until Google dies.

Advertisers now have two choices:


1. set a specific end date when their campaign will stop running, or

2. select 'no end date' to have their campaign run indefinitely.

Campaigns set to 'no end date' don't have to run forever -- they simply run until the advertiser decides to pause or delete the campaign manually, or resets the campaign to a specific end date. You can make those changes at any time.

If you want to create a campaign and let it run until you decide to make changes, 'no end date' is a good choice.

The Google AdWords Help Center confirms that advertisers can now either set an end date for their ads or let their ads run indefinitely.

Google Earth Enterprise Goes 2D in the Browser

Today, Google announced that business and government users of Google Earth Enterprise will be able to view their organization's geospatial data in 2D on a browser, behind the firewall. Through a special version of the Google Maps API (the programming interface for Google Maps), administrators can also embed this 2D view into any web application (much like a Google Map) and create mashups with information from external databases, spreadsheets and other data sources.

"Not only is it now easier for employees who need to access their organization's geo data - whether it be satellite images, terrain and elevation data or aerial imagery - to do so from almost anywhere, but they can integrate additional layers of information within their existing web applications without ever having to leave the browser," said Matthew Glotzbach, Product Management Director, Google Enterprise. "Because businesses and government organizations can leverage the browser in addition to the downloadable Earth Enterprise client, they can share their geo data more easily across teams and departments, create mapping overlays for improved data analysis and ultimately, deliver a greater return on their technology investment."

"By visualizing global website traffic at www.dell.com in Google Earth, we are building a stronger sense of community with our internal and external partners through awareness and better visibility around traffic trends and patterns," said Jamie Wills, vice president of sales and marketing systems for Dell, an early adopter of the latest release of Google Earth Enterprise.

"In addition, our global Enterprise Command Center gains a global view of customer activity at a glance, ensuring optimum responsiveness for customers with Enterprise Silver, Gold and Platinum Plus support. Google Earth gives us the intuitive yet powerful interface to critical business information that we need to manage effectively in today's fast paced business environment."

Energy and government are also natural industry sectors that have gained immediate benefit from the latest release of Google Earth Enterprise.

"With Google Earth's intuitive 3D geo-browsing experience, researchers can visualize data more effectively, allowing us to explore areas of interest more efficiently than ever," said Ole Martinsen, Head of Exploration Research for Norsk Hydro a Norwegian oil, energy and aluminum company. "Deployed in our Research Centre in Bergen, Norway, the Google Earth Enterprise system is used to synthesize large quantities of global data high resolution imagery and terrain models and dozens of vector layers that are relevant to Hydro's interests. It's an eye opening experience to see years of accumulated geological and geophysical data appear with just a few clicks."

Alabama's Department of Homeland Security is using the latest release of Google Earth Enterprise as a platform for Virtual Alabama, a department program to support information sharing across Alabama's county, municipal and state agencies for emergency response, disaster assistance and the protection of public assets.

"Google Earth Enterprise enhances our ability to identify, track and update critical infrastructure throughout Alabama," said Jim Walker, Alabama's Homeland Security Director. "Our Virtual Alabama information sharing database is anchored by Google Earth Enterprise. The incorporation of Google Earth Enterprise into the Virtual Alabama model will dramatically improve the speed and accessibility of Virtual Alabama to our user population."

The new release also improves processing of images and mapping information, and enhances support for industry-standard security protocols such as LDAP and SSL.

Key features include:

• Browser view lets anyone in the organization securely access Google Earth Enterprise through a browser. In addition, organizations can embed a map view with proprietary data into any web-based application. (A real estate firm, for example, can now publish 2D images of all properties in a given area and overlay those images with a spreadsheet's pricing data or availability notes - all on the firm's website.)
• Enhanced search framework allows integration with multiple search services through Java plug-ins, including the Google Search Appliance. (A manufacturer might use this feature to find a set of customers with certain product preferences using the Google Search Appliance, and view the geographic distribution of those customers in Google Earth.)
• Regions-based KML imagery data processing tool for creating super-overlays. These overlays enable organizations to easily publish large collections of images. (A government agency would be able to publish local aerial photography to citizens.)
• Faster data processing and serving performance produces time savings of up to 10x for vector processing (points/lines/polygons) and computational savings of more than 2 xs for server responses to imagery data requests.
• Industry standard security methodologies are supported for easier implementation of LDAP and SSL.
• User interface improvements make the process of ingesting, previewing and publishing data easier and more efficient.

Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to make the world's geographic information easily accessible and useful to businesses and government organizations. For more information about Google's geospatial solutions for businesses and organizations, visit http://www.google.com/enterprise/geospatial.html. To contact a sales representative, please visit http://services.google.com/enterprise/g.

Google and FeedBurner Deal

On 01 June 07 Google acquired FeedBurner. Read more about it here

Salesforce Google Confirm Partnership

Google has teamed up with Salesforce to provide a new jointly developed and co-marketed product, which combines Google AdWrdswith Salesforce's web based CRM.

The service targets small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

"Combining the power and simplicity of Salesforce with Google AdWordshelps businesses find and keep customers to ultimately drive their continued success," said Eric Schmidt, Google chief executive, in a statement.

Marc Benioff, Salesforce chief executive, added: "The alliance of Google and Salesforce brings together the world's leading platforms to empower small and medium-size businesses to accelerate and thrive."

The two companies have been working together since 2003, although this is the first jointly-developed product they have produced and takes their relationship to a new level.

When potential customers click on the ad, they are taken to the company's site where they are encouraged to fill out a records form. This information is then sent to Salesforce as a potential sales lead.

"There is just an enormous opportunity out there with millions of small businesses out there, and it makes a natural place for Google and Salesforce to collaborate more closely," Bruce Francis, Salesforce's vice president of corporate strategy, told CRN.com.

Small Businesses and the "Wow" Factor by Matt McGee - May 30, 2007

http://www.searchengineguide.com/mcgee/010097.html

First impressions are important for everyone doing business online, but maybe more so for small businesses that don't have the benefit of name recognition and consumer trust. That desire to make a good first impression, though, often leads the small business owner down the wrong path. They decide their home page needs some pizzazz, or a "Wow! factor", as I've often had it described to me.

Enter Flash. Flash is what makes all those "cool" animations you see on home pages, and gosh, if you're a small business owner, having Flash is like having a piece of Hollywood on your home page. Few can resist the temptation….

Flash is not necessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of situations where a Flash-based movie file is the right way to go. With product demos, for example, Flash can be an educational tool that adds to the user experience. The problem is that Flash is rarely used correctly. The most common mistake -- and one that small businesses seem particularly susceptible to -- is the creation of a Flash-based home page (or "splash" page).

Here's a quick rule-of-thumb: If you want to add something to your web site that requires a "Skip This" button, you're probably making a mistake. But better than that, here's an old quote from Jared Spool of User Interface Engineering, a very well respected usability expert interviewed by the Marketing Sherpa web site:

"When we have clients who are thinking about Flash splash pages, we tell them to go to their local supermarket and bring a mime with them. Have the mime stand in front of the supermarket, and, as each customer tries to enter, do a little show that lasts two minutes, welcoming them to the supermarket and trying to explain the bread is on aisle six and milk is on sale today.

"Then stand back and count how many people watch the mime, how many people get past the mime as quickly as possible, and how many people punch the mime out.

"That should give you a good idea as to how well their splash page will be received. That's the crux of it."

Your Flash movie may look cool, but the only lasting "wow" you'll get will be something like, "Wow, we're really getting in our customers' way with this, aren't we?"

If you're looking for a "wow" factor, it's best to look elsewhere.