The borders are being closed, the barriers are going up, the digital cold war has begun - is your business ready to handle the fallout?

In case you haven’t noticed, the very nature of the internet is changing. In addition to numerous draconian bills by various governments throughout the world trying to control or censor it, the internet is also being carved up by the top tech superpowers, and at the forefront of this digital land-grab, is Google.

For over a year now the Mountain View apparatchiks have been using the web as their virtual chessboard, moving pieces about the board in seemingly random patterns, sacrificing pawns, making large acquisitions, slowly consolidating their power. Now that all the pieces are in position, they’ve begun to make their play.

Search Plus Your World is but the opening gambit, perhaps even a diversionary tactic, or good old fashioned strategic brinkmanship designed to test the FTC’s resolve. Meanwhile, whilst we watch the drama unfold, stunned and bewildered, Google have begun closing all their borders and setting up new checkpoints.

All you need do is check out how Android and Chrome OS are progressing to catch a glimpse of Google’s grand design.
The foundations of a digital iron curtain, where your OS, your browser and your DNS are all supplied by Google and where search, social, mobile, apps, cloud computing, price comparison, daily deals, payments – everything – now takes place within the unassailable walls of the new Google Democratic Republic.

If you want to enjoy freedom of movement in the future then you better make sure your documentation is in order, and you better start now. Because without the right credentials you won’t be able to get in, and once you in, Google will do whatever it takes to make sure you never leave.

In case you haven’t noticed, the internet is being carved up, Google are staking their claim, Facebook and Microsoft are allied against them, and soon you’ll also have the Apple Sector, the Amazon sector, and so on, each with their own social networks, search engines, mobile payment systems and Checkout Charlies.

This is the year, 2012, when each of the big five will make their move and we will be there to help you best position your business in order to gain maximum benefit.

Google have made their move first. So here’s how you need to react. [click to continue…]

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