IP Democracy: WSJ: Google to Offer PPV Video, Downloadable Software Pack

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Google is, in fact, planning to announce both a pay-per-view video service and a new downloadable bundle of PC software on Friday at CES. According to the piece by Kevin Delaney and Nick Wingfield,

Under the major upgrade to Google’s video-search service, consumers will be able to pay to download and view videos, such as television shows, on their computers from Google content partners such as TV companies, people familiar with the matter say. Google plans to announce partnerships with some major players tomorrow, including CBS Corp. and the National Basketball Association, these people say. By virtue of Google’s huge presence online, the move could place Google in competition with other emerging powers in Internet distribution of video such as Apple Computer Inc.

The downloadable bundle of software is called the “Google Pack” and will contain the

Firefox Web browser, a version of Norton AntiVirus software from Symantec Corp., Adobe Systems Inc.’s Reader software, RealNetworks Inc.’s RealPlayer multimedia software, Trillian instant-messaging software from Cerulean Studios and Lavasoft AB’s Ad-Aware antispyware software. Google Pack will also include Google’s own desktop search software, Google Earth satellite imaging and maps software, Picasa photo-management software, Google Talk instant-messaging program, its Toolbar add-on for Web browsers and screen saver software.

According to the piece, Google is presumably doing this to take a swipe at Microsoft’s share of the software market and head off a Microsoft run at Google’s search business; but, more importantly, this bundle could make it easier for consumers to use Google services. Both of these developments make sense, but I can’t help but think that there is something else that Google plans to announce — just tossing out a downloadable software option seems a little incomplete for Google. The WSJ piece says the software may ultimately come preinstalled in new computers and a spokesman is quoted in the piece as saying Google will have “a number of exciting announcements” during Larry Page’s keynote presentation on Friday.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on January 5, 2006 6:55 AM to IP Democracy