Technology giant Google is just about everywhere. In 17 years it has gone from a wonderful algorithm to explore the World Wide Web to the planet’s most powerful ad-funded search engine, and along the way growing and expanding into dozens of other ventures. Among these are the acquisition of YouTube and the introduction of Google Maps, Street View, Google Mail, Android (and its new watches), Nest Labs, and more recently SkyBox Imaging, Google Glass, Project Loon and now a scheme to launch as many as 360 satellites to girdle the Earth.
While its ‘Don’t Be Evil’ mantra and daily Google illustrations on its website are fun, the fact is that since its 2004 IPO Google has made 160 formal acquisitions to strengthen and widen its product lines, and it is still growing. With a market capitalisation of some $400 billion, and despite spending some of those billions on acquisitions it still has a war chest of some $60 billion in cash up its sleeve.
Matt Brittin is Vice-President, Europe and in this keynote session (moderated by The IBC Daily’s Kate Bulkley) we will hear where broadcast media lies within Google’s ambitions, and how YouTube and its global community of content creators is changing the way video content is produced, distributed, and consumed. We will also hear the latest on Android TV, Google’s connected television strategy that will link TVs, set-top boxes, tablets, smartphones, games consoles and new devices such as smartwatches.
This keynote address, which sets the agenda for the second day of IBC2014 in which we look at the ways technology is driving change and enabling new opportunities, will also explore Google’s relationship with broadcasters and content producers.
