Vodafone Light Bulb Goes On
February 17, 2010
I was quite amused to read the Guardian’s story “Vodafone Chief Warns Google’s Growing Power Could Harm Consumer Choice.” In the midst of the Barcelona mobile flamenco, Vodafone about Google’s “power”. The Vodafone senior manager making this statement is Vittorio Colao. I wonder if he realizes that his firm hooked up with Google as early as April 2001, long before the US telcos knew there was more to Google than Web search. I noticed that on the Vodafone site there is a Google Nexus One Phone FAQ. Not even the addled goose is sufficient crazed to poke too much fun at Google. I don’t have any relationship with the Mountain View crowd until I publish a Google study based on open source documents. Then a Google 20 something attorney writes me or my client to complain that the information in a BearStearns report was secret or that one of my studies includes diagrams not in a Google patent document. We fax the open source document to the eager lawyer and go on about our business. But the Vodafone outfit is a Google partner and has been since 2001. Now the Guardian is reporting that Vodafone understands Google’s partner. The hook for the story was a speech at the mobile flamenco. I was amused by the Vodafone poobah’s statement that, according to the Guardian, “warned mobile phone executives about Google’s growing power in the online advertising and search market, which he [poobah] claims could damage consumer choice.” I was also amused that the Guardian did not point out that Vodafone was going on dates with Google, presumably doing more than batting their eyes over a coffee and bizcocho.
I am in Harrod’s Creek, and there are some real stories at the mobile flamenco. A poobah criticizing a partner could have been a story; for example, answering this question would have caught my attention, “Why after a nine year relationship are you afraid, poobah?” Or, “Is your deal with Google putting your company in jeopardy and risking shareholder value?” Or, “Why are you partnering with an outfit and warning others in your industry to be wary?” Could be a signal, eh?
I am not a real journalist, so I suppose my questions are just silly addled goose thoughts.
Stephen E Arnold, February 17, 2010
No one paid me to write this. Because the post pokes its beak toward telecommunications, this is a fact of important to the FCC to which I herewith report no dough.
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