WisconsInnovation

Its seems as if Google has launched yet another technology application to compete with an established competitor. Just as Google TV and attempts to infiltrate social media Google has officially opened an e-bookstore to compete with Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Apple. In partnership with Sony and over 4,000 publishers the Google bookstore will offer more than 3 million books including millions for free. Google has made apps compatible with smartphones, e-readers and PCs so, in theory, a person could read a book on his/her e-reader at home, then on their phone on the way to the office and finally at the computer when they get there. Although this isn't really considered innovation because it isn't an original concept, there is a sense that whenever Google does something it is looking to one-up the companies that occupied the market before them. Time will tell how much importance the market will place on Google's brand name compared to the already established e-readers like Amazon's Kindle. Did Google make meaningful enough improvements to the concept to draw customers away from Amazon or bring former skeptics into the market?