Stephen E. Arnold

Google: The Digital Gutenberg

Stephen Arnold's latest monograph complements his two previous Google studies: The Google Legacy (September 2005) and Google Version 2.0 (October 2007). Both previous studies conducted in-depth analysis of the Californian company's rise over the past ten years, and discussed its potential for growth and diversification based on its leading-edge technology.

In the Preface to the new study, Stephen Arnold comments that 'in this monograph, I have gathered together examples of Google’s non-advertising technology, narrowing to what I call "publishing" technology. I have highlighted three points:

First, I show how Google has initiated but not completed an end-to-end publishing system, seeming content to mothball its technology and allow developers to discover how to use its App Engine to access the Google operating environment.

Second, I illustrate Google’s data management capabilities. One benefit of structured or semi-structured information is that blocks of information can be "sliced and diced" to create new concoctions, as suggested in the word "mashup".

Third, I have focused on Google's stature as the next big thing. I don't discuss MySpace, Twitter or Facebook in this monograph, but these services represent companies that have built around some of Google's technical methods. My working hypothesis is that Google has the infrastructure and the technology to compete in social networks and social search.'

Published in May 2009, the latest monograph comprises approximately 110 pages and is published solely in the form of an e-book (online download). Price per download is US$350 or €260. It may be ordered using the Infonortics secure order form. The work is also available at a special price as part of Arnold: The Google Triology.

Sample chapter

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Contents page available here

Who should read this new analysis?

Google's potential is great, and The Googleplex is certainly not destined to remain an engine solely for crunching data in the fields of search and advertising.

The list of those who need to understand Google and its potential includes:

those working in media and publishing companies
investment analysts, financial advisers
suppliers of corporate IT services and software
banking and financial companies
publishing and information industry strategists
government advisers and analysts

Google: The Digital Gutenberg (Infonortics, Tetbury, England; May 2009).
Available in online PDF download version only; US$350 / €260; approx.110 pages. Site licenses on application to harry.collier [at] infonortics.eu. The work is also available at a special price as part of Arnold: The Google Trilogy.