A John Battelle post on the battle for AOL is worth a read. (Battelle is author of a new book called “The Search, How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture”).
Following some insightful speculation as to the motives of Google and Comcast, Battelle concludes that:
This is a new game for Google, which has in the past pretty much set itself apart from the rough and tumble world of Big Bets Based on Business Strategy. My gut reaction to the news was that this was a bad idea - Google does not have the Media Player DNA, and in its core believes it should win through innovation, not dealmaking. This next stage of the company’s life should be very interesting to watch. My gut tells me that in the end, Google will get cold feet, mainly because the price (of either a deal or an acquisition) will be too dear, and AOL will fall to Microsoft, who will be willing to overpay. But watch Yahoo here, and Comcast - either one might decide to up the ante and change the game as well.
Mitch Shapiro at 6:31 PM|Comments(0)
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