Google opens up possibility of offline search marketing

Staff, brandrepublic.com, 31 May 2007, 09:10AM

LONDON - Online giant Google is set to launch an offline web browser service called Google Gears, which will allow users to access it remotely while on planes and trains and some of the most inaccessible places across the globe.

Google Gears will open up as-yet-untapped pockets of consumers, including the difficult to reach business traveller.

The open source application will allow Google users to access the online firm's services, such as the Google news reader, offline from today.

The service is set to add to search marketing opportunities, already the core of Google's commercial business, and means that the online company is set to achieve complete global access.

The move is set to revolutionise consumer access to the internet and challenge Google's rival Microsoft.

It extends Google's reach further, adding to other services it already has such as Google Documents, its free web-based word processor and spreadsheet, which allows people to share and collaborate online.

The Gears technology will be a free service and available to other firms as open source software, which will allow other developers to add to and use the software in their own products.

Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer of Google, said: "With Google Gears, we're tackling a key limitation of the browser in order to make it a stronger platform for deploying all types of applications and enabling a better user experience in the cloud."

The new application is another step in the fight for turf in the search marketing arena. Just this week, Yahoo! launched its search platform, Panama, into Europe. The online company claims that Panama marks Search 3.0, and will help marketers work smarter.

Panama has been designed to improve ad relevancy and make the search industry more competitive.