How does google make all that money?

[Norfeldt]

Hi all

I know this isn't a OS problem, but I know that your guys know all about the Internet and it's a bite relative since the questions are about free services (like Ubuntu ;))

Here it goes:

Google has a lot of employees and offers a lot of free service and programs and so on. Gmail, gCalendard, SketchUp etc. all free. This must be expensive..
I know they have advertisement when you google something, but does that really cover it all?

There is a lot of free services/programs like etc. 8Hands that don't have advertisements... how can this be? I mean its not like a open sourge program...

[aaaantoine]

It pretty much comes down to ads.

But in addition to that, Google offers a premium version of their Google Apps service (and probably a few others) where they make more money.

[Icehuck]

Hi all

I know this isn't a OS problem, but I know that your guys know all about the Internet and it's a bite relative since the questions are about free services (like Ubuntu ;))

Here it goes:

Google has a lot of employees and offers a lot of free service and programs and so on. Gmail, gCalendard, SketchUp etc. all free. This must be expensive..
I know they have advertisement when you google something, but does that really cover it all?

There is a lot of free services/programs like etc. 8Hands that don't have advertisements... how can this be? I mean its not like a open sourge program...

Everything you do with Google drives their advertising. Google Docs, Gmail, Youtube, and anything else I missed all drive advertising.

[gjoellee]

They to also use Ubuntu, so they wont pay much for their computers! :p They get a lot of donations as well

[flytripper]

ads click ads click ads. its worth billions.

[DM was on fire!]

Yep, I'm gonna say a good amount of it is ads.
You figure, there are ads on YouTube, gMail, and like aaaantoine said, there's a premium version of Google apps.

PLUS, I'm sure they get a lot of money from stockholders too. Last I knew, their stock was still like $290.

[kernelhaxor]

Adsense is the cash cow ..
ofcourse ads on most of its services too

[Giant Speck]

Yep, I'm gonna say a good amount of it is ads.
You figure, there are ads on YouTube, gMail, and like aaaantoine said, there's a premium version of Google apps.

PLUS, I'm sure they get a lot of money from stockholders too. Last I knew, their stock was still like $290.

$297.13 as of this morning. Google stock is slightly down today.

[Norfeldt]

But what about free software that is not open source?
like 8hands and other programs.. most of them don't have ads

[abhilashm86]

i had heard almost 90% of google script and programs are developed by linux people using python as main scripting language,is this true friends? maybe they used linux os and compiled the code:)

so no much investment in writing code,so they made free software??huh

[mdewet]

just got this from http://www.enquiro.com/marketing-monitor/how-Google-makes-money.asp

"Well, Google makes most of its money through the sale of ads. In fact, of the company's $6.2 billion in revenue in 2005, over $6 billion is from the ads."

[TBOL3]

They also have ads that they people put on their own pages, each of which the get 50% of.

[earthpigg]

How does google make all that money?

because not everyone uses adblock plus or something like it.

what will happen to the internet when/if they do?!

i have a mild fear that this will one day happen...

[Norfeldt]

But what about free software that is not open source?
like 8hands and other programs.. most of them don't have ads
Same question again..

[TBOL3]

Most freeware programs will either.

A. Become Shareware
B. Become Adware
C. Become Open Source
D. Die
E. Or they can live for long time, but only if they're supported by a commercial product that the same company makes.

Freeware programs don't make money which is why they don't last.

[GCG199]

because not everyone uses adblock plus or something like it.

what will happen to the internet when/if they do?!

i have a mild fear that this will one day happen...


In the long run, that will happen, but it still has a ways to go before it will create serious loss of ad revenue problems. (Just like Linux taking on more market share over the next few years.)

It is sort of like most people using Windows and Internet Explorer for their web browser. (Google is even going to let the adblock extension for their Chrome web browser be made available later on.)

That is all they know about and unless they already have an interest in exploring other computer technology options.

They won't get that far because they really don't care or just haven't figured out that option exists yet.

[CrazyArcher]

Hmm as far as Google's ads go, they don't annoy me. They are not flashy nor emit any sounds - fine by me. Can't remember myself clicking on any one of those.

[Norfeldt]

how do I know if 8hands is spyware?

[6star.org]

Adwords and Adsense make them Cash Rich.