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  • Google pledges Rs 75,000 cr for Indian digital economy

    Google pledges Rs 75,000 cr for Indian digital economy

    NEW DELHI: Google has announced that it will invest around Rs 75,000 crore ($10 billion) in India over the next five to seven years. The announcement was made by Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.

    “Google will do this as a mix of equity investments, partnerships and operational infrastructure in the ecosystem investments. Investments will focus on four areas: enabling affordable access to information to every Indian in their own language, building products and services that cater to India's needs, empower businesses to transform digitally and lastly leveraging technology and AI for social good in health, agriculture and education,” Pichai announced.

    “This is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India and its digital economy," Pichai said during the annual 'Google for India' event.

    The CEO thanked prime minister Modi for the Digital India vision. He said, “Low-cost smartphones, affordable data, and world-class telecom infrastructure has helped digital India become a reality.”

    Pichai shared, “India is setting the global standards on how to digitise payments and now it’s helping us to build the global product. Our AI-powered Bolo app is another example of technology build specifically for Indian users. Today, Indians do not have to wait to use the latest technology any longer.”

    He also mentioned that the digitisation of small business has been a success story. Just four years ago, one-third of small businesses in India had an online presence, but today 26 million SMBs in India are searchable on Google platforms. 

    “Digitisation of SMBs has increased greatly in India; small businesses are now joining the formal economy by using digital payments. India’s digital economy is far from complete. There is still more work to do in order to make the internet affordable and useful for billions of Indians,” Pichai added.

    In the last year's summit, Google unveiled tokenised cards, an artificial intelligence lab in Bengaluru, BSNL partnership, Google Pay for Business app for merchants and expanded Indian language support across its products such as Google Assistant, Discover, Lens and Bolo. 

  • 100 mn hrs of YouTube viewed on TV: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

    100 mn hrs of YouTube viewed on TV: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

    MUMBAI: In the era where consumption is increasing on mobile devices, YouTube is all set to create a new record. In the third quarter earnings call, Google’s parent company Alphabet announced that Youtube’s viewership within living rooms on TV sets is up to 100 million hours per day, with a 70 per cent increase over the previous year. Alphabet also mentioned how YouTube is a major revenue builder for it.

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai talked about the growth and future perspective of YouTube. He said, “Youtube continues to see phenomenal growth” with over 1.5 billion users globally.

    Pichai said that an average user spends 60 minutes at least a day on YouTube on mobile devices. YouTube isn’t just restricted to desktops and smartphones but has also extended to the TV either via the interne ot through devices like set-top boxes or gaming consoles.

    YouTube had previously said that majority of its viewing takes place on mobile devices. Earlier this year, YouTube said people were watching a billion hours of its videos per day. According to the facts and figures issued on July 2017 in Fortunelords, the total number of people who use YouTube is 1.3 billion. In an average month, 8 out of 10 18-49 year-olds watch YouTube. By 2025, half of the viewers under 32 will not subscribe to a pay-TV service. 6 out of 10 people prefer online video platforms to live TV. The total number of hours of video watched on YouTube each month is 3.25 billion.

    Pichai also announced the future plans for YouTube with the company focusing on increasing its subscription-based monetised models. YouTube Red, the company’s first subscription service, would release over 40 original shows through the service this year.

    Stats for YouTube TV which broadcasts live from over 40 networks was also mentioned. YouTube TV now covers two-thirds of US households and is available in 50 metro areas.

    Seems like the remote controlled device has finally made sense to the digital-loving audience.

    Also Read:

    YouTube watch time grew 400% y-o-y, 80% on mobile

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  • Google parent Alphabet’s profit hit by EU fine

    MUMBAI: Google’s parent Alphabet has reported a quarterly profit of USD 3.5 billion, with a massive fine by the European Commission biting into earnings.

    The technology giant on Monday reported that revenue grew to $ 26 billion in the recently ended quarter, and that profit would have tallied nearly $ 6.3 billion if it weren’t for a $ 2.74 billion anti-trust fine levied on search engine Google by the European Commission, according to an AFP report San Francisco.

    Revenue was up 21 percent from the same quarter last year, according to earnings figures. “We’re delivering strong growth with great underlying momentum, while continuing to make focused investments in new revenue streams,” the AFP report quoted Alphabet chief financial officer Ruth Porat as saying.

    Alphabet shares slid about 2.9 percent to 969.03 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

    Investors have been concerned about what the regulatory trouble in Europe means for Alphabet, which gets most of its money from Google advertising while investing in “other bets” such as self-driving cars. Alphabet took in $ 248 million in revenue and posted a narrower loss of $772 million in its “other bets” category in the recently ended quarter.

    Meanwhile, Google and the EU are gearing up for a battle that could last years, with the Silicon Valley behemoth facing a relentless challenge to its ambition to expand beyond search results.

    Brussels has already spent seven years targeting Google, fueled by a deep apprehension of the company’s dominance of Internet search across Europe, where it commands about 90 percent of the market.

    In a verdict that could redraw the online map worldwide, the EU’s top antitrust sheriff Margrethe Vestager in June imposed a record fine on Google for illegally favoring its shopping service in search results, according to the AFP report.

    The EU accuses Google of giving its multitude of services too much priority in search results to the detriment of other price comparison services. The decision — if it survives an expected appeal process – could prove to be momentous for Google, as well as for competition law in general.

    The EU is also examining Google’s AdSense advertising service and its Android mobile phone software.

  • OYO among LinkedIn’s top 10 for job-seekers

    MUMBAI: Action and engagement by over 500 million LinkedIn members have put OYO among the top 10 companies in India that attract the best talent. It is the only hospitality player among the top ten, rubbing shoulders with marquee global and Indian companies such as Alphabet, Amazon, Flipkart, KPMG, Adobe and Reliance Industries. OYO has jumped seven places to the 9th spot (from 16th last year) in the second edition of the LinkedIn’s survey titled Top Companies 2017: Where India wants to work.

    “OYO is an urban innovator that continues to engage world-class talent driven by commitment and passion to transform the world,” said OYO founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal.

    OYO CHRO Dinesh R said, “OYO is a unique workplace that caters to diverse skill-sets bound by a common thread – the drive to excel and impact the world.”

    According to LinkedIn Tech Editor Adith Charlie “The list of market leaders in their chosen sectors represents the firms where LinkedIn members most want to work now. Our methodology takes into consideration three main pillars to uncover the companies our members are most interested in; job applications, both views and applies on postings; engagement with employees as well as with the company directly and retention.”

    In a short span of over three years, OYO expanded its network to become the largest hospitality company in India.

    Watch Here :

  • Buyers queuing up to buy Twitter; Disney, Microsoft included

    Buyers queuing up to buy Twitter; Disney, Microsoft included

    MUMBAI: Is Twitter up for sale? If the mounting media reports are to be believed, it most likely is. A queue of potential buyers is reportedly is lining up at its corporate doors. Among them: salesforce.com, Alphabet (google’s parent), Microsoft and Disney.

    Analysts say that it is no surprise that Twitter is in the market for buyers. It has been under tremendous pressure to find revenue streams what with the rising power of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other social media outlets.

    Says an industry observer: “They received interest offer from salesforce.com and then probably Jack Dorsey, its CEO, and the board probably decided to pursue it as a strategy to see where it could lead to, and they have been fielding enquiries. For a media company, a Twitter acquisition makes sense as there are not too many companies on the social side out there with a subscriber base of 300 million. This is a good opportunity for them to make a play.”

    Salesforce.com is reportedly working with Bank of America on a potential bid while Disney is working with a financial advisor to evaluate whether they should throw their hat in the ring, says a Bloomberg report.

    Bloomberg appears to be betting on Disney being the front-runner. Reason: both Disney CEO Bob Iger and Dorsey are pretty close. Dorsey is on the Disney board along with Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg. And, Iger has been mentoring Dorsey for sometime now. Additionally, the former has been working on evolving Disney — as its traditional cable TV business is under pressure from cord-cutting and video-on-demand streaming services – into increasing new media plays.

    In recent times, Disney has invested in video streaming service Hulu, Shane Smith digital media company Vice and HBO Now tech partner MLB’s BAMTech. Twitter too has partnered with BAMTech for its live streaming services, says Bloomberg.

  • Buyers queuing up to buy Twitter; Disney, Microsoft included

    Buyers queuing up to buy Twitter; Disney, Microsoft included

    MUMBAI: Is Twitter up for sale? If the mounting media reports are to be believed, it most likely is. A queue of potential buyers is reportedly is lining up at its corporate doors. Among them: salesforce.com, Alphabet (google’s parent), Microsoft and Disney.

    Analysts say that it is no surprise that Twitter is in the market for buyers. It has been under tremendous pressure to find revenue streams what with the rising power of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other social media outlets.

    Says an industry observer: “They received interest offer from salesforce.com and then probably Jack Dorsey, its CEO, and the board probably decided to pursue it as a strategy to see where it could lead to, and they have been fielding enquiries. For a media company, a Twitter acquisition makes sense as there are not too many companies on the social side out there with a subscriber base of 300 million. This is a good opportunity for them to make a play.”

    Salesforce.com is reportedly working with Bank of America on a potential bid while Disney is working with a financial advisor to evaluate whether they should throw their hat in the ring, says a Bloomberg report.

    Bloomberg appears to be betting on Disney being the front-runner. Reason: both Disney CEO Bob Iger and Dorsey are pretty close. Dorsey is on the Disney board along with Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg. And, Iger has been mentoring Dorsey for sometime now. Additionally, the former has been working on evolving Disney — as its traditional cable TV business is under pressure from cord-cutting and video-on-demand streaming services – into increasing new media plays.

    In recent times, Disney has invested in video streaming service Hulu, Shane Smith digital media company Vice and HBO Now tech partner MLB’s BAMTech. Twitter too has partnered with BAMTech for its live streaming services, says Bloomberg.

  • Why Google’s new structure is good news

    Why Google’s new structure is good news

    Google has announced a major overhaul of its corporate structure. The new structure creates a holding company which is called Alphabet. This will comprise a collection of companies, the largest of which will be Google. Within Google will sit key services such as Search, Maps, Chrome, YouTube and Android. Outside of Google will sit projects such as Fiber and Nest. The full announcement can be seen here on the new Alphabet website https://abc.xyz/ . In addition to the restructure there are several key management changes, the most notable being the elevation Sundar Pichai to Google CEO.

     

    Google has long been considered part of the fabric of the internet. In many respects it has been the electricity of the web powering many consumer journeys, driving the largest share of advertising experiences globally, and certainly contributing significantly to the digital economy.

     

    Google Corp itself was constructed like an electrical circuit running in series (rather than in parallel). The challenge with a ‘series’ organisational structure is that if there is a break in one part of the chain, the whole is affected. For example if Google Glass fails it affects Google’s core business (if only in terms of public perception). Similarly, if Google (Search) faces regulatory scrutiny it is likely to negatively impact the development of other areas of the business such as Nest, driverless cars etc.

     

    The move to operate in parallel (through the creation of Alphabet) rather than in series will have a positive impact in several areas:

     

    1.    Innovation: Google can take its moonshots and fail without impacting the core business of advertising. Having this structure should therefore enable it to be more agile.

     

    2.    Regulation: Google has come under significant regulatory scrutiny particularly in Europe where it has already restructured to give a more singular approach to the authorities. The new structure will protect it further from regulatory issues by enabling it to fight one product/company at a time.

     

    3.    Organisation: With the new structure the Google subsidiary will be better able to focus on the reorganisation of its advertising and technology sales operations which require closer integration if the company is to take full advantage of its market-leading integrated advertising stack approach.

     

    4.     FaceOff: Facebook has deliberately kept the majority of its operations (FB, Instagram, Oculus) relatively separate from a B2B and consumer point of view, which has resulted in product innovation, advertising success and much less regulatory scrutiny. Although the Alphabet structure doesn’t exactly replicate that of Facebook, it is certainly an implicit acknowledgement of the successful Facebook corporate strategy.

     

    5.     Investor Relations: Google’s new structure is a clear signal of the arrival of a new finance director. The structural change and the subsequent increase in organisational clarity and transparency will no doubt be a very positive sign to investors.

     

    (The author of this article is ZenithOptimedia chief digital officer. The article has been sourced from ZenithOptimedia’s website. The views expressed here are purely personal views of the author and Indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to them.)