Google: “What are we going to do with all this money??”
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Written By Kate Zimmermann | March 6, 2007 | Share This
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Today Eric Schmidt confessed to investors at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference, “One of the problems in high-tech industries is that successful companies tend to generate cash pretty liberally (but) they don’t have good places to put it.” Google, of course, has one of the largest and fastest growing mounds of cash that it evidently doesn’t know how to spend. Of course, Google’s ambiguous ‘money problem’ has launched a whole new wave of Google rumoring.
Though Schmidt denied any impending mergers or acquisitions, MarketWatch reports that Google and Apple are “working on new things.” No word, of course, what those “things” might be. Apple Insider thinks “new things” could mean better integration of Google services into Apple’s Leopard operating system, AppleGazette wonders about the future of a Google/Mac Tablet, and commenters on Digg suggest everything from a free Google-sponsored version of .Mac to A “Goople TV” (that’s Google + AppleTV).
In the meantime, Simeon Simeonov thinks Google’s investing in a branded mobile phone. He speculates,
“There are rumors that Google and Samsung will build a new phone, codename Switch, together… I’m not sure whether the pictures leaked are accurate (looks too much like an iPhone, no?), but here is what I have learned from my inside source:
- Blackberry-like, slick device
- C++ core w/ OS bootstrap (some version of Linux?)
- Optimized Java running on the C++ core (similar to what Andy did at Danger)
- Vector-based presentation courtesy of Skia’s technology
- Many services, including VoIP”
Finally, taking the “logical” route (boooring) CNET predicts that Google will continue to invest in data centers, to handle the growing bandwith shortage caused by digital video streaming.
No matter what lucky company becomes the recipient of Google’s cash, we do know of one group that won’t receive more than $1 - Google’s top execs. CNN reports that Eric Schmidt, Larry Page and Sergei Brin will once again receive $1 for each of their annual salaries. Before you overestimate their generocity, though:
“As of last year’s proxy, Larry Page owned 32.1 million shares of the company, worth about $14.2 billion at today’s closing price. Sergey Brin held 31.6 million shares valued at $13.9 billion. Schmidt held 12.5 million shares worth $5.5 billion.”
Topics: Google |