One interesting thing to note about GIPS is its customer list. On its site, GIPS touts Yahoo, IBM Lotus, AOL, WebEx and Baidu as customers. All of those companies compete with Google products. For instance, Yahoo uses GIPS VideoEngine PC product to deliver real-time voice over Yahoo Messenger. Is that really going to last when Google owns GIPS? It’s the same story for AOL Instant Messenger. Simply put, Google will own the technology powering video and voice on the biggest IM clients. On the Google Apps front, WebEx uses GIPS VoiceEngine and so does Lotus Sametime. On the China front, Baidu also uses GIPS technology.
If I was Cisco, IBM, Yahoo, AOL, maybe this is the time to find or maybe develop a new codec! ;)
GIPS CEO Emerick Woods said:
Google has been a valued customer of GIPS for many years and has greatly contributed to the development and innovation of our products to date. We have always respected their position in the industry and share the common vision of accelerating next generation innovation in the web-based solutions for real time communications.
You may have many questions regarding this announcement but for now, until the successful completion of the offer, it will be business as usual for us here at GIPS. You will continue to interact with the same team members and can expect the same level of support and commitment that you have received in the past. Google has informed us that nothing will change for current and prospective customers of GIPS. Following the completion of the Offer, Google intends to continue servicing GIPS’s customers in accordance with existing contracts while offering them the opportunity to transition to new offerings developed by Google. Although we will not have more significant details until the process is complete and full integration efforts are underway, we will keep you informed throughout as events arise.
In other words, Google will continue servicing GIPS existing contracts, but after that rivals may be on their own.
source for this information: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/google-buys-voip-engine-behind-yahoo-aol-webex-lotus-conferencing/34590?tag=nl.e539
