WEB APPS://Google copies Yahoo!, watch out for Amazon

The Internet Giants are launching applications at increasing speed (see below). Some remarks:

• It sure looks like Google is copying Yahoo!, adding content and paid services. Also, Yahoo! is losing momentum in the innovation space.
• Amazon and eBay are more focused, allowing them to enhance their core business. The flip side being of course that having this core makes them vulnerable. Turning to entry barriers, I suppose Amazon has a higher one, having a huge physical network that none of the others will ever be interested in copying.
• Amazon can fend off the others by copying the web applications game (remember the huge number of engineers they hired). This works well at fending off Wal-Mart et al as well.

eBay: core in auctions, payments and VoIP:

• Enhance the core: integrate Skype into Marketplaces, offerAlerts through phone, SMS or IM and VoIP.
• Auctions (aimed at Google, Yahoo!): trial for TV ads.
• Paid search (aimed at Google, Yahoo!)
• Distribute ads (aimed at Google): alliance with Yahoo!
• Web 2.0 (aimed at Yahoo!, Google, MSN and Netscape (AOL)): social networks around Collectibles; blogs, Wiki; community journalism plans at Craigslist.
• Retail (aimed at Amazon): eBay Express (new goods without auction, with shopping cart), build a store for Paradise Electronics in China.

Amazon.com: core in retail:

• Enhance the core: Amazon Connect (author blogs), exclusive content (from Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Dixie Chicks, M. Night Shyamalan), print-on-demand, DVD-on-demand.
• Paid search (aimed at Google, Yahoo!): Associated Sponsored Links.
• Movie/TV and music downloads (to be launched), aimed at Yahoo!, MSN)
• Alliance in China (aimed at Yahoo!/Alibaba): Joyo + Sohu.

Google: core in search:

• Enhance the core: expand the Googleplex.
• Office (aimed at Microsoft): Google Spreadsheet, Writely (to be relaunched), Google Calendar.
• Content verticals (aimed at Yahoo!): Health, Real Estate, Finance, Shakespeare, Government search
• Web 2.0 (aimed at Yahoo!): Picasa Web Album, Co-op, Notebook.
• Paid services (aimed at Yahoo!): Earth Plus and Earth Pro, Picasa.
• Classifieds (aimed at eBay): Google Base.
• Payments (aimed at eBay): GBuy.

Yahoo!: core in search, communication, Web 2.0 and content aggregation:

• Enhance the core (Web 2.0): Answers, Video.
• Enhance the core (search): Project Panama (not public yet).
• Enhance the core (content): columnists on Finance, launch Yahoo! Tech.
• Retail (apart from comparison shopping; aimed at Amazon): acquired 10% of Korea's Gmarket.