This week in GAFAnomics #39
Amazon integrates and automates the value chain / Car manufacturers targeting developers / Google looking for the next Cash Cow
After launching Amazon Basics, Amazon Elements, 11 brands of clothing, Amazon is launching its latest private label, a snacking brand called Wickedly Prime. Amazon’s playbook is simple:
1. Open your platform to let third party players create value, gathering data on every transaction.
2. Thanks to your data, start producing more value by integrating the value chain on specific items — Curated by Joachim Renaudin
Ford and Toyota launched a consortium to help developers build apps on the SmartDeviceLink platform. For developers, this consortium opens up the possibility that the apps they write for SDL will now be supported by a far larger number of cars.
This move to compete with Android Auto and Apple Carplay shows that car manufacturers understood one thing: creating the best OS for the car is about nurturing the richest ecosystem of developers. — Curated by julien breitfeld
Amazon increased its number of robots by 50% in 2016.
Following the purchase of the robotic company Kiva Systems, Amazon has invested heavily on automation of its warehouses and fulfillment capacity.
These large investments change Amazon’s cost structure showing that the e-commerce giant is playing the long term game. Because scale is what matters to Amazon, growth is more important than profits. — Curated by Joachim Renaudin
Some say Google has wasted billions on “moonshot projects” through its Google X subsidiary, from which very few concrete businesses were born. Does Google lack strategic focus? No. Alphabet was created precisely to split the Google cash cow (Search, Android, Cloud, gmail, youtube), from these various initiatives. Alphabet is making billions in profits every year, and it has two focuses: growing the Google cash cow… and finding the next one! — Curated by Nuno Ribeiro
That’s all for this week, but follow us for more news about GAFAnomics next week! In the meantime, you can check our new study about the 2nd Space Revolution.
