Webupon

Google has gone from a mere search engine to the web 2.0 giant that it is now. Not only has it changed the way people use the internet but also enhanced online advertising and technopreneurship.

It has seized every opportunity along the way for its continued expansion and dominance in the internet world. From the search engine followed Google Adwords, Google Adsense, Gmail, Google Base, Google Checkout, Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Pages, Google Docs, Google Desktop, Google Code and more. It also took over the ownership of popular community-driven sites like YouTube and Orkut.

I myself am a supporter of Google. Like many people, I can equate trust, safety and stability with its name. I would love to see it further expand and share its blessings with the citizens of the world wide web.

Here, I suggest six niches for Google’s expansion.

1. Webhosting

This one has been a buzz in the blogosphere after Google offered Wikimedia to host its sites in their servers. Thus, Google definitely has the capability to venture into webhosting and with its built image of trust and having a large user base and patronizers, it has the potential of becoming the biggest webhosting company that would definitely eat up the competitors.

2. Internet and Computer Security

This one has also been eyed by bloggers and enthusiasts last year after Google established an Online Security Blog and, a week later, acquired GreenBorder Technologies Inc. — a California based start-up that was launched in 2001 that provides security software in the guise of “virtual sandboxes” which allow users to browse the internet from virtual machines that disappear at the end of each session along with all the viruses and malware.

Google’s next move is yet unclear but a release of an internet security software that work on such principles will surely be highly welcomed by the internet community.

The next four niches are of my own making. I don’t know if these have been suggested elsewhere by other Google supporters:

3. Online Multiplayer Games

Google Earth could be tweaked into something like an online game of world domination, much like “Rise of Nations” or any other game models. Such types of games could feature massive amounts of multiplayers in real time.

4. Online Virtual Reality Sites

Google can step into virtual reality to enhance user experience in online shopping, for instance. Google Base may expand into a virtual online mall or auction site where users can see 3D images of a product and can even feel its texture or weight. This can extend into Google Virtual Parks where users can explore simulations of natural wildlife parks.

5. Escrow System for Safe Online Shopping

Buying a product online from a virtually unknown individual or company seller is very unsafe. Buyers would have to rely on feedbacks by other buyers about the reliability of the person or company selling the product. Google can step into this by serving as an unbiased third party that will settle a safe and fair transaction. Google receives the money from the buyer and only releases it into the seller upon delivery of the product. This is what many companies in the escrow services have been doing. I think Google should take advantage of its earned trust from internet users by venturing into this business.

6. Universal Google ID System

This universal ID system has been implemented by OpenID. However, the use of this has been limited since not many sites are using it. Google already has implemented this also to a certain extent. Having acquired YouTube and Orkut, it has enabled login of other users of Google services into this community-driven sites. If Google opens this to other sites just like what OpenID has done, it will have a greater chance of disseminating this universal online ID system. The debate on the pros and cons of such a system is beyond the scope of this short article, but I’m sure it does have a lot of benefits in security and programming aspects.