I think if we can just wait our turn, all of us will eventually get some crazy money from Google.
After throwing money at such interesting partners as Dell, Real Networks, Sun and Adobe, today comes word that Google has paid Intuit, maker of QuickBooks, some money to somehow embed some of Google’s services into QuickBooks.
Why? Again, you know why: “so small business users will be able to list themselves on Google Maps, create and manage advertising campaign [sic] with Adwords and post listings on Google Base.”
Of course this feature no one really wants is just another way to toss more ads in people’s faces. I know I’ve said it before, but permit me to say one more time that people want less ads (satellite radio, TIVO, etc.), not more ads. It just seems very odd to me that Google’s entire business plan seems to involve collecting data it can use to put ads in front of us that we simply don’t want.
I also wonder who will be the first person to wonder out loud about putting all of their private financial information into an application that has embedded product by a company who seems to want badly to obtain and store all of our information and data? I don’t think for a second that Google or Intuit would allow any of that data to be collected or misused, but you have to believe that people will get more nervous every time Google steps closer to that data.
In the meantime, Intuit gets some free money, and users get more ads.
As Mike Arrington correctly notes, there better be an easy way to turn this feature off.
Otherwise Microsoft Money’s slogan next year is likely to be “Google Free.”
Newsome.Org 