Putting Wood Behind the Toronto Project: Why Google Drops Projects
May 11, 2020
If DarkCyber were asked, “What cloud vendor should I use?”, the answer must consider persistence, consistency, and commitment.
Amazon, bless their prime heart, continues to take orders, deploy new AWS services, and make documentation which baffles. IBM is trying to turn its digital battleship into something capable of delivering AIops, whatever that is while it sells mainframes. Microsoft is pushing its Azure concept forward as it leaves the baffled Surface users and frustrated Window 10 update lovers at the altar. Even Oracle demonstrated that low prices can zoom forward.
But Google?
With the news reported in “Sidewalk Labs Announces It Will No Longer Pursue Quayside Project,” Google makes it clear that stick-to-ativity is not the company’s core competency. The write up states:
the economic circumstances made it “too difficult” to make the 12-acre project financially viable without sacrificing “core parts” of its plan. Sidewalk Labs, which has a 30-person office on the waterfront, will continue to work on some of its proposed innovations, including mass timber construction, a digital master-planning tool, and its approach to all-electric neighborhoods.
Ah, ha. Covid and not the push by Google to get money from tax and other assessments. Like other Google projects, this smart city thing is not really going away. It’s a pre beta testing thing.
What’s this have to do with Google’s cloud push? Decisions like waving goodbye to Toronto are tough to ignore. Forgetting Dodgeball and Web Accelerator are easy, but pulling out of Toronto is a major move.
Why does Google drop projects?
Google sells ads.
I am not convinced that its up to the task of delivering over time what government and commercial customers require; that is, confidence that Alphabet won’t spell “sayonara” with AdWords without warning. Automated ads are easier than creating something, overcoming hurdles, and persevering. Hey, let’s play ping pong. That putting wood behind a tough job for sure.
Stephen E Arnold, May 11, 2020
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