In March, Google announced Google Voice, a new addition to the company’s toolbox of technology crafted to improve and simplify the way we manage our phone calls, texts and voicemail.  The concept stems from GrandCentral, bought by Google a few years ago.

The tool enables users to use a single number for all incoming home, work or mobile calls simultaneously.  Did I mention this service is FREE?  Now that I have your attention, while the technology does not seem as impressive as some new media tools, it is most definitely a needed convenience in the busy lives of many.  In addition, those already using the service are grateful, with more time freed up from organizing and synchronizing work and personal connections and scheduling.  Let’s point out the obvious-you could essentially never miss a call.

Initially, the new service was only available to existing GrandCentral clients.  Now, those who email Google to request the service will get back an invite via email for it.  Customers are able to select their own number, and begin controlling their phones…all of them. 

While the innovative service remains free of charge at the moment, it should be interesting to see how the tool affects Google’s mobile strategy in time.  Relayed by Deep Blue Ineractive, your Fort Lauderdale web design and interactive marketing team.

Google has found itself in murky waters over its online advertising practices.  There are companies who are livid about the methods Google allows paid ad placements to operate.  Google defends its practices, citing the effectiveness of competitive trademark usage. 

Geico, American Airlines and other large corporate entities have filed suit against Google regarding the competitive uses of their respective trademarks (those suits were settled).  Brand owners consider the usage abuse of their brands, and say that it confuses customers and increases the cost of doing business.

Google is unphased by the commotion and lawsuits.  In fact, this month, Google spread its policy of permitting anyone to purchase someone else’s trademark as a trigger for an online advertisement to 190 new countries.  Google will also allow limited use of trademarks in the text of some search ads, regardless of if the owner of the trademark objects.

Google maintains that the changes will lead to ads that have more relevance to the user.  An example being that if someone entered “Dell” into a query, not only would the official Dell website appear, but other sites who sell Dell products.

Microsoft and Yahoo allow similar uses of trademarks within the text of their online advertisements, although they do not allow the controversial method of utilizing trademarks as triggers for competitor ads.  Dynamics of trademark usage are up for a unique interpretation on the internet.  Google functions for its users, the ultimate in search technology, if a Google user is searching for a product, they will also be provided with competing products with potentially lower prices.  Relayed by Deep Blue Interactive, your Fort Lauderdale interactive marketing solution.

Microsoft is under scrutiny once again, this time for its seemingly stubborn approach to investing in the search market.  Some investor’s shareholders are questioning aloud why the company is willing to spend billions to compete in the dominated search market, continuously losing money and market share.

Recently Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, met with The New York Times and mentioned the company’s plans to offer computing services from its network of data centers to corporate customers.  Microsoft has the advantage in this arena, having maintained a strong presence in the corporate software market over the past decade. 

Still Microsoft continues to compete in the search market industry, which is dominated by Google, rather than focus on the enterprise market.  Mr. Ballmer knows that search engine marketing is where the money is, and that is where he wants his company to compete.  Mr. Ballmer then went on to tell the Times,

 “There are only three things on the Internet that have made money: Amazon, eBay and Google,” he said. “If we’re going to make a lot of money on the Internet, we’ll have to challenge Google in search.”

The world of search is changing the way companies do business, so who would not want a piece of the pie.  When people are searching for products and services today, it is likely they are using a search engine.  Bringing businesses and clients together has become a profitable endeavor that is beneficial to all parties. Brought to you by Deep Blue Interactive, your Fort Lauderdale interactive marketing and web design solution.

Google Translate has recently rolled out several new languages, including Thai, Turkish, Hungarian, Albanian, Estonian, Galician and Maltese.  With the additional seven languages, users have the ability to automatically translate between 41 languages and 1,640 language pairs-and reach a staggering 98% of internet users. 

Everyone knows Google Research moves quickly, and in just a few years succeeded in expanding from two languages to 41, receiving millions of translation requests per day.  Google works diligently to consistently improve the quality of these translations, utilizing statistical models built from vast quantities of monolingual and translated texts with automated machine learning techniques.

The translation tool provides a way to reach out to others online, regardless of language.  While the system is not perfect, it is constantly improving and will soon prove to be a force to access people worldwide.  Pairing a translation tool with strategic search engine optimization techniques will ensure the online visibility of your website, and increase qualified traffic.  The greater the volume of qualified traffic, the more leads that transistion into customers.

As the World Wide Web becomes a smaller and more useful tool to bring businesses in touch with new customers, it is important to ensure your website is working for you.  Contact Deep Blue Interactive for a free website analysis to discover how to attract qualified customers to your business through search engine optimization and powerful web design.

It has become a pastime these days to watch where former Yahoo execs are ending up.  With the new leadership of Carol Bartz as Chief Executive, Yahoo is in transition.  During this transition, several ex-Yahoo execs are scoring important roles at rival companies, a surprising trend in the internet and online advertising industry.

The latest being Gregory Coleman, the former top sales executive at Yahoo who is now running Platform-A, AOL’s collection of online advertising technologies and services.  Coleman’s new gig has a revolving door however, with predecessor Lynda Clarizio lasting less than a full fiscal year and Curt Viebranz before her lasting less than six months.  AOL announced plans last week to lay off 10 percent of its workforce, advertising 700 people, due to the decrease in advertising.

Yahoo’s former top media exec Scott Moore landed a similar role with Microsoft.  Another interesting twist is that Moore worked at Microsoft prior to Yahoo, and was replaced by Jeff Dossett-formerly of Microsoft.   These are just two of the more recent cases; there have been plenty more in the past years.  It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Yahoo, as of late it is nearly impossible to track intentions, due to the fluid leadership roles the company is enduring. Brought to you by Deep Blue Interactive, your Fort Lauderdale based web design and interactive marketing source.