Google has always had a single product area: grow and defend advertising revenue. Every major initiative can be cast in that light. Consider the "non profit" multi-billion dollar efforts.
Chrome? Prevents Microsoft or Mozilla from strangling them at the browser.
Android? Stops Apple from strangling them at the phone.
Fiber? Was intended to stop ISPs strangling them at the premises. A rare misfire which they probably wish they'd pushed harder.
The first consequential alternative revenue stream to appear in Google's lifetime is GCP. In Google's position I'd spend just about anything to get a double-digit marketshare. I suspect they have the best technology out of the three, but don't enjoy first-mover (Amazon) or sales channels & bundling power (Microsoft).
Disclosure: I work for Pivotal, we work closely with Google. But also with Microsoft and a lot of other partners too.
Chrome? Prevents Microsoft or Mozilla from strangling them at the browser.
Android? Stops Apple from strangling them at the phone.
Fiber? Was intended to stop ISPs strangling them at the premises. A rare misfire which they probably wish they'd pushed harder.
The first consequential alternative revenue stream to appear in Google's lifetime is GCP. In Google's position I'd spend just about anything to get a double-digit marketshare. I suspect they have the best technology out of the three, but don't enjoy first-mover (Amazon) or sales channels & bundling power (Microsoft).
Disclosure: I work for Pivotal, we work closely with Google. But also with Microsoft and a lot of other partners too.