The Biz of Coding

Google Readies GBuy

by Ujwal Tickoo on June 28th, 2006

News.com reports that Google (GOOG) is ready to launch GBuy soon. GBuy is expected to compete with eBay’s PayPal. Considering that Yahoo!’s Wallet (YHOO)didn’t pick up big-time, and Microsoft’s Wallet (MSFT) served via Passport ran into security issues and did not really make a big dent into Pay Pal I am wondering what Google’s play will be beyond Google Base. Does this mean that Google will focus on building Google Base as a competitor to eBay — right as eBay had suspected?

eBay’s acquisition of PayPal

PayPal was a natural fit for world’s biggest auctioneer eBay (EBAY) when eBay acquired the company. But Google is not really a big player in online auctions or eCommerce. How does Search lead to Online Payments for normal consumers of Google Search (not the advertiser)?

Seems, that Google is bent upon going down a path that I considered "un-strategy" in my post Why eBay Inc. is worried about Google. I had stated there:

Google’s un-strategy of trying to be both a search engine serving ads along with a portal like provider of eCommerce and Content services will make it a untrusted entity in the Internet world.

eBay quite naturally worried about Google encroaching its territory announced strategic a tie-up with Yahoo! some weeks ago. I expect the eBay-Yahoo! tie-up to get deeper and stronger as GBuy is launched.

Continued… Will Google Succeed with GBuy?

POSTED IN: GBuy, Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Yahoo, eBay