Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Google moving to purchase Twitter?

It wasn't too long ago that Google CEO Erich Schmidt referred to Twitter as "a poor man's email system." Now it appears that Google was either slow playing the market, or they have finally discovered the growing value of the micro blogging tool. Rumors and reports this week have Google talking with Twitter about a possible acquisition.

The merger would seem to make a lot of sense on the surface. Twitter catalogs information in real-time, which is sure to take a bite out of the Google market share. While Google and other search engines are clearly the better choice for information in most scenarios, Twitter has a major advantage by allowing events to be documented as they are happening. This effectively removes the filter of the media and gives people the feeling that they are somehow experiencing and learning of events through the eyes and words of those living it. We saw this play out here in the United States during the crash landing of US Airways flight 1549 , as well as abroad during the terrorist attacks in Mumbia, India.

In the past, Google has shown the ability to both improve markets while dominating them. At this time, it appears that they cannot compete with this newer technology of Twitter and may well look to purchase it.

7 comments:

  1. Maybe Twitter will run a little smoother if this does happen.

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  2. I think it would make Twitter better in the short term, but would eventually kill the potential of it.

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  3. it might be a good thing. i doubt it, but it is a possibility

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  4. i don't like the idea of it at all

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  5. Twitter keeps growing without Google or Facebook, but I think they may cash out while the going is good

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  6. i just wish Twitter would get rid of the follower/following thing. Maybe Google taking over will make that happen, so the people who think it is a race to a certain number will have to find something else to do with themselves.

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