8 Google Projects To Watch in 2015
<p>We're highlighting Google's top 2015 projects -- from the pragmatic to the peculiar. Once you've explored the offerings, tell us which ones are your favorites –- and which ones you think are total duds –- in the comments section below. </p>
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt69509c9116440be8/bltdc551add0fc72d57/64cb578f8edef7167e277ba8/Google_-opening-slide.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Google makes billions of dollars dishing out contextual ads. Its bread-and-butter search revenue makes it appealing to investors, but less so to tech enthusiasts and journalists, many of whom would rather hear about the search giant's forays into self-driving cars or micro-satellites than, say, the latest AdWord upgrade.
As in years past, Google is undertaking an ambitious array of business partnerships and tech projects in 2015. Some of these efforts have the more pragmatic goal of boosting the company's presence in growing mainstream markets such as enterprise cloud computing. Others are blue-sky initiatives, such as self-driving cars or low-orbit satellites designed to make the Internet accessible from just about anywhere on Earth.
Google's business is becoming increasingly diversified. For instance, there's the very successful Chromebooks venture, and the very unsuccessful Google Glass (which really isn't dead yet -- more on this in the slideshow), as well as the too-soon-to-tell Android Wear (software for wearables) and Android Auto (car tech).
What else is Google working on? One persistent rumor claims the company will soon offer its own wireless plan by reselling Sprint and T-Mobile services. If true, it's possible Google might act as a disruptive force by seriously undercutting the prices of the two top wireless giants, AT&T and Verizon. There's a precedent for this in the broadband market. Google charges just $70 per month for its 1000Mbps fiber-optic service, which is currently available in three US markets. Verizon, by comparison, charges $75 per month for its 75Mbps FiOS Internet plan, and $285/month for 500Mbps. So, if you fear you're overpaying for home broadband -- or what your ISP calls "broadband" -- you probably are.
Google's side projects are fun to watch, but they don't always contribute a lot to the company's bottom line. Advertising makes up about 90% of the company's revenue. Many of Google's experiments may seem kooky, but they're really designed to benefit Google's core ad business by bringing more Internet users online, many of whom will use Google Search. For instance, Project Loon, a proposed global network of high-altitude balloons for bringing wireless Internet to rural and remote areas, could help Google's core business a great deal.
We've summarized Google's top 2015 projects -- from the pragmatic to the peculiar -- in the image gallery that follows. Once you've scrolled through the offerings, tell us which ones are your favorites – and which ones you think are total duds -- in the comments section below.
Google changed the name of its corporate-focused operation from Google Enterprise to Google for Work in September 2014, a rebranding effort designed to embrace the search giant's small and midsized business customers, most of whom probably don't see themselves as an "enterprise." The move is one of several attempts to lure business customers, including opening up Google Cloud Platform to Windows-based workloads, and changing the company's global partner program to better accommodate corporate clients. And while these efforts were announced toward the end of last year, they'll accelerate in 2015 as Google takes on established competitors, including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, to attract businesses migrating to cloud services.
Glass, Google's first stab at a camera-equipped wearable for your head, may have failed spectacularly -- at least as a $1,500 consumer device -- but that doesn't mean it's gone for good. On the contrary, the Glass project lives on as a business-focused effort, one that very well may have a future in select industries. One example is a recent trial by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands. As YouTube video shows, this airport is using Glass apps to help staffers quickly access information, as well take photos, via hands-free voice commands. (FierceMobileIT has the news release.)
In the past year, Google and VMware have gone from cloud service competitors to industry partners, starting with their February 2014 pact to provide virtualized Windows desktops on Chromebooks. It appears the pair are strengthening their bond in 2015 to gain traction in the increasingly lucrative cloud services market. Last month, Google and VMware announced plans to make some Google Cloud Platform services available to VMware customers via vCloud Air, VMware's hybrid cloud platform. Google BigQuery, Google Cloud Datastore, Google Cloud Storage, and Google Cloud DNS will be available to vCloud Air users later this year.
In 2014, Google began working with 34 cities in nine US metro areas to bring its 1000Mbps (or 1Gbps) Google Fiber service to an eager public. (It's already available in three cities -- Kansas City, Austin, and Provo, Utah.) In 2015, companies in some parts of Austin and Kansas City (and soon Provo) will be able to get Google Fiber for Small Business, which is quite reasonable at $100 per month. Even if Google Fiber never goes nationwide, it's a disruptive force that's spurring broadband competitors such as AT&T to bring 1-gigabit Internet to more cities this year.
The demand for smartwatches is the tech industry's great unknown. But 2015 should give Google, Apple, and legions of other gadget makers a clearer idea of what people want in a wearable. The major event, of course, is the spring launch of the Apple Watch, but Google's ongoing enhancements to its Android Wear platform are significant as well. In October 2014, Android Wear received two significant upgrades: GPS support and the ability to play music stored on the wearable. Both features free the device from the smartphone, and could make Android wearables more appealing to consumers and business users who don't see the appeal of carrying two mobile devices all the time. The changes certainly couldn't hurt; only 720,000 Android Wear devices shipped in 2014, according to research firm Canalys.
Google's self-driving car project gets plenty of media love, but it will be a few years before we see autonomous cars cruising down the highway. The company's Android Auto initiative may have a greater impact this year, provided Google's roster of supporting car manufacturers actually builds the software into vehicles. Similar to Apple's CarPlay, Android Auto allows compatible cars to display smartphone content on a customized UI in the dash display. (Phones will need to run Android 5.0 or newer.) Google may also be working on a version of Android Auto that's built directly into cars and doesn't need a smartphone at all, Reuters reports. Don't expect to see this service in 2015.
When searching for information on a mobile device, a list of blue links isn't the best way to find answers, particularly on a small screen. Search providers, most notably Google and Bing, are getting better at providing relevant information at the top of the results page, in an ongoing effort demonstrated by recent changes in Google Search. When searching for medical information (e.g., "What is measles?") you'll see relevant medical information up front and, in some cases, illustrations from licensed medical illustrators. This is significant because one in 20 Google searches is for health-related information, writes Google product manager Prem Ramaswami in a blog post.
Google and Fidelity Investments recently invested a cool billion dollars in Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), giving them 10% ownership of Elon Musk's space transport company. Why is Google interested in space exploration? The main attraction may be SpaceX's proposed satellite Internet service, an orbiting network of micro-satellites that would bring Internet access to developing and rural regions in every nook and cranny of the world. A Google spokesperson told Ars Technica that imaging satellites and other space-based apps can help people access information more easily. And for Google's core business -- data-driven advertising -- the more people online, the better.
-
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like