Your post is nonsensical. According to you, Apple has power over the telcos because they're a hardware maker, but really because they're a hardware maker that's also a software maker?
'Ummm' is right.
Btw, hasn't Google been trying to be a hardware maker? Nexus? Glass? GoogleTV? Chrome? Nest? Motorola? Maybe cars? Just to name a few? How come that didn't pan out vis-a-vis power over the telcos?
They don't have power over telcos, they have power over their hardware, and with the Nexus Google does as well. Btw the HW/SW making combo isn't the magic formula it's been made out to be. It didn't work for Nokia, Palm, BB, and now Google. Most people avoid things with a 20% success rate.
From Softcard's website it looks like they only work with 'eligible' cards from American Express, Chase, and Wells Fargo. That's it. They still have a lot of work to do, like Apple did, to work with more card issuers.
If a customer is someone who pays for a product or service, then yeah: Advertisers. I'm sure Google worshippers will disagree with me.
It's not really up for discussion. As a publicly traded company, Google is compelled to state who their customers are in their SEC filings. Over 90% of Google's revenues are from Google AdWords, their desktop search service product.
People who use Google Search, Gmail, etc. aren't "customers"; they are the product.
If you think that being a Gmail user makes you a Google customer, you haven't read Google's SEC filings, nor do you have any remote grasp on what Google's business model is. Google prefers a largely naive public, so people think they are getting something from nothing, but that's far from the truth. Gmail is free because it encourages people to spend time in front of their computer and type stuff into the Google search engine.
If you are a naïve, oblivious Google user, it really doesn't matter whether or not you understand Google's business model. It doesn't change the fact what that business model is.
It's not really up for discussion. As a publicly traded company, Google is compelled to state who their customers are in their SEC filings. Over 90% of Google's revenues are from Google AdWords, their desktop search service product.
People who use Google Search, Gmail, etc. aren't "customers"; they are the product.
If you think that being a Gmail user makes you a Google customer, you haven't read Google's SEC filings, nor do you have any remote grasp on what Google's business model is. Google prefers a largely naive public, so people think they are getting something from nothing, but that's far from the truth. Gmail is free because it encourages people to spend time in front of their computer and type stuff into the Google search engine.
If you are a naïve, oblivious Google user, it really doesn't matter whether or not you understand Google's business model. It doesn't change the fact what that business model is.
The primary business is a search engine supported by advertising. Should be easy to understand. If Google didn't consider their users to be customers as well and treat them as such their search engine would not be nearly as successful. Same goes for GMail and Google Docs. The features are designed with users in mind, thus the popularity. Both Microsoft Outlook and Yahoo Mail are free too but I think GMail has a larger market share, that despite Outlook being pre-installed on every Windows computer. If Google hadn't designed with users in mind there's no way so many folks would have gone out of their way to integrate them.
For what it's worth DuckDuckGo and Bing are also ad-supported. So is Yahoo, Ask and every other search engine AFAIK. Who pays $ for search anymore?? Hell, using your line of reasoning what's the product for Apple's iAd? YOU.
Yeah but it's OK because it's not the primary way Apple makes money right?
That doen't mean your purchase history is not being data mined and/or monetized. You may be expecting more privacy from using ApplePay or any other electronic payment method than it actually provides. Do you completely trust the banks and CC companies to not share what they know about you? http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-card-purchase-privacy-1282.php
Google can't control the hardware other OEMs make, so what could they have 'figured' out?
Why not? The hardware vendors are desperate and Google has the software they need. Googs can say "here are the minimum requirements." But they choose not too.
The primary business is a search engine supported by advertising. Should be easy to understand. If Google didn't consider their users to be customers as well and treat them as such their search engine would not be nearly as successful. Same goes for GMail and Google Docs. The features are designed with users in mind, thus the popularity. Both Microsoft Outlook and Yahoo Mail are free too but I think GMail has a larger market share, that despite Outlook being pre-installed on every Windows computer. If Google hadn't designed with users in mind there's no way so many folks would have gone out of their way to integrate them.
For what it's worth DuckDuckGo and Bing are also ad-supported. So is Yahoo, Ask and every other search engine AFAIK. Who pays $ for search anymore?? Hell, using your line of reasoning what's the product for Apple's iAd? YOU.
Yeah but it's OK because it's not the primary way Apple makes money right?
Again, the user experience by Google is design that way to get more eyeballs on ads to benefit it's real customers.
Why not? The hardware vendors are desperate and Google has the software they need. Googs can say "here are the minimum requirements." But they choose not too.
That would go beyond the scope of 'minimum requirements'.
Based on actual evidence that they are more scrupulous than Google about sharing customer data?
"Some banks use your data to market to you directly, or through affiliates. Some, including major players such as Bank of America, Citi, Capitol One, Chase, Discover Bank and HSBC, allow non-affiliated outside companies to market to you. These banks allow customers to opt out of such marketing – but you have to know it takes place and then go through all the trouble of figuring out how to opt out." (http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamtanner/2013/10/17/what-chase-and-other-banks-wont-tell-you-about-selling-your-data/)
I for one have no idea how AmEx or Discover got my home address (I have nothing to do with either of them); could it have been through Visa?.
Based on actual evidence that they are more scrupulous than Google about sharing customer data?
"Some banks use your data to market to you directly, or through affiliates. Some, including major players such as Bank of America, Citi, Capitol One, Chase, Discover Bank and HSBC, allow non-affiliated outside companies to market to you. These banks allow customers to opt out of such marketing – but you have to know it takes place and then go through all the trouble of figuring out how to opt out." (http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamtanner/2013/10/17/what-chase-and-other-banks-wont-tell-you-about-selling-your-data/)
I for one have no idea how AmEx or Discover got my home address (I have nothing to do with either of them); could it have been through Visa?.
Comments
They don't have power over telcos, they have power over their hardware, and with the Nexus Google does as well. Btw the HW/SW making combo isn't the magic formula it's been made out to be. It didn't work for Nokia, Palm, BB, and now Google. Most people avoid things with a 20% success rate.
If a customer is someone who pays for a product or service, then yeah: Advertisers. I'm sure Google worshippers will disagree with me.
It's not really up for discussion. As a publicly traded company, Google is compelled to state who their customers are in their SEC filings. Over 90% of Google's revenues are from Google AdWords, their desktop search service product.
People who use Google Search, Gmail, etc. aren't "customers"; they are the product.
If you think that being a Gmail user makes you a Google customer, you haven't read Google's SEC filings, nor do you have any remote grasp on what Google's business model is. Google prefers a largely naive public, so people think they are getting something from nothing, but that's far from the truth. Gmail is free because it encourages people to spend time in front of their computer and type stuff into the Google search engine.
If you are a naïve, oblivious Google user, it really doesn't matter whether or not you understand Google's business model. It doesn't change the fact what that business model is.
For what it's worth DuckDuckGo and Bing are also ad-supported. So is Yahoo, Ask and every other search engine AFAIK. Who pays $ for search anymore?? Hell, using your line of reasoning what's the product for Apple's iAd? YOU.
Yeah but it's OK because it's not the primary way Apple makes money right?
I trust the banks more than Google.
Why not? The hardware vendors are desperate and Google has the software they need. Googs can say "here are the minimum requirements." But they choose not too.
Again, the user experience by Google is design that way to get more eyeballs on ads to benefit it's real customers.
That would go beyond the scope of 'minimum requirements'.
According to who? If they can require OEM s to use google services, they can require anything they want. (I know OEMs can choose open source Android).
I trust the banks more than Google.
Based on actual evidence that they are more scrupulous than Google about sharing customer data?
"Some banks use your data to market to you directly, or through affiliates. Some, including major players such as Bank of America, Citi, Capitol One, Chase, Discover Bank and HSBC, allow non-affiliated outside companies to market to you. These banks allow customers to opt out of such marketing – but you have to know it takes place and then go through all the trouble of figuring out how to opt out." (http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamtanner/2013/10/17/what-chase-and-other-banks-wont-tell-you-about-selling-your-data/)
I for one have no idea how AmEx or Discover got my home address (I have nothing to do with either of them); could it have been through Visa?.
Really? You're going to use a software requirement to argue for a hardware one? I know you can do better than that.
Or magazine subscriptions, banks, charities.
Yes. What are OEMs gonna do? Windows? Develop their own OS?
Is it impossible for them to develop their own payment system, by including the hardware, and then making a app within Android?
http://bit.ly/1vYNUVC
Looks like fingerprint is mainstream and here to stay though. Well done to those at FIDO and Nok Nok Labs for getting the standards right.
http://bit.ly/1vYNUVC
No matter what Google Does,
Thank You.
Read My Blog Akash Navi