It has been a while since Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt has been elected to Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) board of directors. So far, no one has seen any direct consequences of what I call the “strategic partnership”, other than Google showing more support for the Mac OS with the release of compatible applications.
Other than that, nothing has really been disclosed as to how the two innovative companies may collaborate. On the other hand though, a whole bunch of rumors have been circulating about the Apple iTV, Apple’s potential mobile phone, Google’s plans for YouTube (especially getting a proper business and revenue model in place), and a potential Google mobile phone. The rumors have been flying all over the place in terms of what Apple and Google might be planning for these products.
A few months back Apple announced what has become known as the “iTV”. The only other piece of information related to that iTV is that it would be available in the first quarter of 2007. Nothing on what the iTV was supposed to do, the specifications, or how it would operate was released. But supposedly the iTV is supposed to stream one’s digital multimedia content from a computer to the television.
I don’t know if I’m the only one thinking this way, or if anyone else has been thinking the same way as I am but hasn’t been vocal about their thoughts, but wouldn’t it be logical for Apple to integrate Google’s YouTube with the iTV? This would essentially mean free on-demand video content for the consumer served right to one’s television, while Google, Apple, and the content providers reap the benefits of the revenue from the advertisements displayed while the on-demand video is being served. And if the iTV really does catch on just like the iPods have, Google and Apple will have set foot into a market which will only prove to be beneficial.
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