It�s been a year since Google underwent
a major corporate restructuring into the entity
known as
Alphabet.
Google became a wholly owned subsidiary, as
did other Google services, projects and
teams which were re-created as separate companies
under the Alphabet umbrella.
The goal of the change, they said, was to
allow those in charge more freedom to seek
new projects
and make acquisitions outside of Google�s
mission �to organise the world�s information
and make
it universally accessible and useful.�
What makes a prospective Alphabet company
attractive to these experienced acquirers?
I think
innovation and profitability are two of the
factors that clearly unite the companies under
the
umbrella so far.
The largest component of Alphabet is Google,
which includes YouTube, Google Search, Google
Apps
and a fistful of others.
Nest, acquired by Google in 2014, develops
smart home devices including
thermostats, smoke alarms and security cameras.
Access & Energy aims to bring low cost Internet
to the two-thirds of the world which still
has no
Internet access, thereby expanding its market?�?and
earnings!
Health and disease prevention
oriented verily uses technology to prevent,
detect and manage disease.
Google Ventures and Google Capital are finance-based
companies, and the Google Self-Driving Car
Project, which is supposed to become a company
in 2016, is self explanatory.
The final company under Alphabet is the most
secretive and possibly the most interesting
of them
all: Google X is a secret lab under the direction
of scientist Astro Teller that works on �moonshots�
and outlandish projects.
How outlandish, you ask?
Media reports credit this innovation lab as
working on everything from space
elevators and teleportation to hoverboards
and driverless cars.
How about drone deliveries via Project
Wing?
There�s also Project Loon, an improbable
scenario using high altitude balloons to create
an aerial
wireless network for vast unserviced areas
of the globe.
the new structure refocused attention on Google�s
non-advertising businesses, including Calico
(healthcare), Google X (self-driving cars
, robots, etc.), and Nest (smart home), all
of which
now effectively operate as their own divisions.
Alphabet made more than 7 robotics acquisitions
in 2013 as the company continues to make serious
forays into the space including a recently
filed patents for controlling large groups
of robots
and creating downloadable personalities.
The robotics companies that were acquired
develop machines
for a wide set of use cases.
Boston Dynamics has developed a robotic cheetah,
Industrial Perception�s
robots are designed to locate objects and
move them in warehouse environments, and Bot
& Dolly
develops robots to assist in filmmaking.
Alphabet has bought more than
15 companies involved with powering commerce
and small businesses.
Many acquisitions helped build
�Google Shopping�, which is the company�s
foray into ecommerce, and �Google Express�,
a gigantic
logistics endeavor for product delivery.
Google also bought Rangespan and Channel Intelligence,
both designed to use data to help businesses
sell their goods online.
In the past, the company has
also purchased
daily deals sites (DailyDeal, The Dealmap),
targeted coupons (Incentive Targeting, Zave
Networks),
and loyalty programs (Punchd).
Alphabet has become directly involved in cell
and internet services through projects like
Project
Fi, Google Fiber, and Project Loon.
Google also bought satellite company Skybox
Imaging and
high-altitude drone company Titan Aerospace.
Both are acquisitions that could have possible
ramifications for providing connectivity to
developing countries, without the need for
expensive
and logistically complex submarine or terrestrial
infrastructure.
