Google to spend 1.2 billion dollars in lobbying -- some of it for cloud computing
For a big corporation, lobbying is a way of life. Microsoft's powerful lobbying landed the US onto the software patents minefield, used by big corporation (like Microsoft) to make it harder for anybody else to build pretty much anything without asking permission to the "big guys".
Google's lobbying seems to be less evil. If you see their lobbying form, you will read the list of lobbying issues:
Congressional Internet Services Usage Rules and Policies, including cloud computing. Issues regarding benefits of cloud computing [...] for small businesses
Google's cloud
Google's interest in cloud computing is clear. They are probably the biggest company out there providing cloud computing services. The usual suspects spring to mind -- think about Google Documents, or Gmail -- but even other services like Google Apps, aimed at businesses, will show you that Google's interest is in being the "cloud hub" for cloud applications: through Google Apps, you have access to a huge range of applications developed by other companies. It's like having an iPhone market, for cloud applications in your domain.
I personally welcome their lobbying, and their philosophy. It shows a desire, from the company, to act as a facilitator rather than a monopolist, in terms of providing online applications. Their lobbying will benefit both them, and anybody else providing applications in the cloud.
Thanks Google.
