Google: (Pt 2) Getting To Know Us and Help Us Better

In Part 1 of this topic we discussed how Google offers an ever-expanding variety of products and services, and that the real value of them to Google is in the backend—in the data they collect as a result of people using their offerings and how that data enables them to offer their advertisers increasingly personalized ads and more cool products. In Part 2 we’ll continue looking at some of the products and services Google offers to collect that data.

First, we have over a half-million driver-free miles with Google’s autonomous vehicles, and that lends a lot of us to think, “Will driverless cars be the future, and will Google control all of the autonomous vehicles that we’ll all be riding in?” And the answer is that Google definitely wants to be in that game of autonomous vehicles, because in the near future, we’re going to be driving semi-autonomous vehicles, which means you will want to drive your car—you just don’t want to have an accident. So car manufacturers will increasingly use what Google is learning about its autonomous vehicles to allow us to reduce accidents and injuries. That way, if we take our eyes off the road for a few moments, it won’t be quite as catastrophic. And remember, since Google’s autonomous cars are all feeding data to the cloud, they will be learning about our driving habits and other things based on how many cars have components of their autonomous vehicle. They will partner with auto manufacturers and I would not be surprised to see a Google electric semiautonomous car some day. I also would not be surprised if it had many 3D printed parts and a 3D printed body.

Google has also been acquiring a lot of robot companies, giving them robots that can walk and run. And since the robots are all becoming more and more cloud-based, Google is in a position to collect data on the environment and how we humans are using those robots. What Google learns from the use of each robot will be worth far more than the robot itself.

Additionally, Google has recently acquired a smart thermostat company. Why? Because this creates a doorway to home energy management and use, and it’s a good example of how our homes will become more connected and intelligent. Intelligent homes, offices, factories, hospitals, farms, roads, vehicles, and much more will happen when we have machines connected to machines (M2M) and sensors, both reacting and anticipating at lightning speeds. By connecting all of these things, what we are calling the Internet of Things (IoT) and using high speed data analytics to get real time intelligence (sounds like it’s right up Google’s alley) you can revolutionize every industry. By 2020, there will be more than 50 billion devices connected in both a wired and wireless way to the Internet providing amazing amounts of data and actionable intelligence. The smart thermostat is a way for Google to get started and it is just the beginning.

Another thing Google has quietly launched is called Shopping Express, which is currently in a few test cities. With this, Google is coordinating with local retailers and offering same-day delivery of items, in some cases guaranteeing a four-hour delivery of purchases. It’s starting to sound like they’re trying to be like Amazon. But, once again, it’s about Google learning what, where, when, and why you’re buying. It’s another way to know us better.

Let’s not forget Google Hangouts. At first, it seemed like they were copying Skype, but it became clear Google was creating a social and business platform all in one place by offering video conferencing, voice, email, and chat, all combined with an easy-to-use interface. Hangouts is becoming more and more popular all the time. As a matter of fact, they have recently been adding some Hangout destinations where celebrities can go and talk with fans. And they have Hangouts Field Trip, where instructional institutions and museums can offer virtual tours.

Finally, Google has a new, soon-to-be-released offering called Tattoos, where they can give you a temporary tattoo. What’s unique is that the tattoos will have microcircuits and interesting capabilities. For example, it might have a microphone embedded that can interface with your smart phone or tablet. There are also other types of sensors that can be put into the tattoo—sensors that, of course, collect data for Google.

So Google is definitely on the right track of offering front-facing technology that is hard for us to resist, and then collecting the data on its use that it can monetize with very high margins. For Google, it’s an innovative and smart approach.

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DANIEL BURRUS is considered one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and innovation experts, and is the founder and CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology driven trends to help clients understand how technological, social and business forces are converging to create enormous untapped opportunities. He is the author of six books including The New York Times best seller Flash Foresight.