Google's Mission Statement

So Larry Page didn't announce a low cost PC at CES to be sold at Walmart (thank god. not because Google would make a PC, but because they would sell it at Walmart). Instead he announces a video marketplace for both commercial and user-generated content to be available and sold through the googleplex. OK. One of the many things Google can execute well given its command of the network (See link below). Whether or not its a low-cost PC or online marketplace, it is the first of many divergent offerings from the company whose mission statement is, "...to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

I read their mission statement several times and tried to decide if Google Video falls within it or is it one of the many new areas they roll into because they can. Does selling something making it "universally accessible"? Does it make a difference that people upload content into the system vs Google finding/organzing it? Who knows (and who really cares about mission statements anyway). Google has an organizational structure that reinforces invention and their offerings range from amazing (Maps), mediocre (Froogle), to lame (Base). Users will determine what category Google Video eventually falls into. But I guess my point is this... with their size, brainpower, market cap, and 7 billion in cash, any vertical Google decides to go after will immediately dimminish competitors, especially the small ones. A terrifying prospect to ISV's and startups to be sure. Sounds like another company doesn't it?

The quaint "Don't be evil" schtick is tasting funny to me lately.

Speaking of Google/Walmart, I found this to be the most interesting Google story of 2005.