This article has been making the rounds this morning among some of my friends: Google developing a micropayment platform and pitching newspapers: “‘Open’ need not mean free”.
This truly is the wild wild west.
Image via CrunchBase
Noone really has a clue. Newspapers are imploding left and right. News is more important than ever before. But newspapers are not? Journalists are not? Many people don't know how to square that circle.
Companies need focus. That is why Cisco outsources its manufacturing. And big companies don't necessarily do well in every little venture they paddle into. But Google is Google, and Google Checkout has been a minor hit, although, it has to be noted, in the aftermath of Google Checkout PayPal has only grown.
But micropayments, I believe, are a tougher nut to crack. PayPal did not show up in
Image via CrunchBase
the face of an imploding industry. It simply showed up.Will people pay? Even small amounts? Will ads carry the day on their own? I don't know. I don't know anyone does.
We sure will see a lot of creative destruction in the space over the next few years.
My PayCheckr team has as good a chance as any, and I am sure there will be several players in the space.
(Disclaimer: I sit on the PayCheckr Board, and am a small part owner.)
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