Internet giant Google has seemingly worked its way into myriad areas, including many that don’t relate directly to the Internet. For instance, Google has recently begun a search for a test location to deploy a fiber optic Internet access network. In addition, Google recently gained Federal regulatory approval in the United States to buy and sell energy at market rates.
These “outside” ventures add to Google’s already impressive dominance in the search engine market, as well as its other ventures such as YouTube, Android, and AdWords. About the only thing that Google lacks is a thriving hardware business—even if only for its internal use. The company may, however, be starting to change this situation.
Numerous Internet news outlets have reported on Google’s confirmation this month that it purchased Agnilux, a chip-development startup founded by former Apple employees. According to PCMag.com (“Google Buys Some of Apple’s Former Chip Team”), the engineers at Agnilux helped develop “the heart of the iPad” before leaving Apple.
Furthermore, the article cites a Google spokesman who stated via email that the company is “pleased to welcome the Agnilux team,” suggesting that these hardware engineers will find a place at Google. The precise nature of that place, however, is uncertain.
Speculation concerning the meaning of Google’s purchase of Agnilux revolves primarily around potential ventures by Google into hardware. These speculations largely focus on two possibilities: first, that Google may be planning to develop its own server architecture, and second, that Google may be planning to develop a competitor to the Apple iPad.
Agnilux was a little-known company whose activities were also largely unknown. Thus, whether Google saw an opportunity in some technology under development by Agnilux is unclear. Nevertheless, some industry observers speculate that Agnilux may have been working on a server architecture. According to an eWeek.com article (“Google Buys Agnilux, Founded by Former Apple Employees”), “Perhaps Agnilux has made a technological breakthrough in server processing” that might benefit Google.
These speculations are based at least in part on reports such as that of the New York Times in February of this year (“Agnilux? It Means ‘Won’t Say a Peep’”), in which Agnilux is cited as “working on some kind of server, and that the company has a partnership in place with Cisco.” If this is true, then by acquiring Agnilux, Google could indeed be looking to develop its own server equipment, thereby taking greater control of its own IT destiny.
On the other hand, speculation abounds as to Google potentially developing a product to compete with or support competitors of the Apple iPad. For instance, an article at the UK’s Channel Register (“Forget the GPad—is Google building a server chip?”) suggests that “Google acquired…Agnilux not to build chips but to port its Chrome OS and Android operating systems to things like tablets and TV set-top boxes.” Given Google’s current offerings and focus.
The notion that the company is looking more to the software side than hardware side might make a little more sense. Nevertheless, Google has moved into various other areas that do not necessarily seem to fit seamlessly with its past activities. Thus, although it may not be extremely likely, the market may still one day see a Google tablet computer that competes with the iPad.
Google may indeed be attempting to take over the world, as some of the more paranoid (and facetious) technology observers claim. The company has shown itself to be a powerhouse in the Internet market, with its YouTube video site, quintessential search engine, Gmail service, and AdWords advertisement program.
The company has also moved to gain a broader presence in individual users’ Internet access through its Google Fiber for Communities program, which is in its initial stages of development. Through Google Energy, the company opens the way for more control of its energy sources and usage. Thus, the question remains as to whether Google, through its purchase of Agnilux, is seeking to have a presence in every aspect of the Internet, from software to hardware.
Although Google is probably a long way off from conquering the world, it may be one step closer to controlling its own destiny through the acquisition of Agnilux.
Source:http://datacenterjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3552:google-to-enter-the-hardware-business&catid=25&Itemid=100126
