With rumors swirling about what his company might be up to, Google CEO Eric Schmidt is quick to point out that Google does not make devices. However, the world's leading internet search engine provider is launching its new operating system (Chrome OS), aligned with a new mobile hardware device. This device, when enabled for "tap and pay" applications, may allow cell phones to replace credit cards.
When Schmidt sits down with web pioneers Tim O'Reilly and John Batelle at the 2010 Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, he first demonstrates (using the "unannounced" device) some of the ways Google is using Near Field Communication (NFC) chips for location-based search.
Technologies like NFC are likely to drive a very large mobile e-commerce business and Schmidt says lots of money is to be made over time using mobile platforms. Google has been working on these platforms and Schmidt discusses the scope of changes to come.
To be a leading technology provider, a company must acquire top-level talent and keep them happy. Schmidt discusses Google's philosophy of talent acquisition, competition with Facebook, and how his process led to a recent company-wide raise.
What are pressing issues facing Google in the near future? What is the next billion-dollar-a-year business for the company? Attendees and listeners of the 2010 Web 2.0 Summit get a rare chance to hear this in-depth discussion with a leader that will shape our future.
Eric Schmidt has helped grow Google from a Silicon Valley startup to a global enterprise since joining the company in 2001. Under his leadership, Google has dramatically scaled its infrastructure and broadened its offerings while maintaining a culture of strong innovation. His background uniquely prepares him to lead Google’s efforts toward technological solutions that focus on users. With founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and the rest of the executive team, Schmidt oversees the company’s technical and business strategy.
Prior to joining Google, Schmidt was the Chairman and CEO of Novell and Chief Technology Officer at Sun Microsystems, Inc., where he led the development of Java, Sun’s platform-independent programming technology. Earlier in his career, Schmidt was a member of the research staff at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and held positions at Bell Laboratories and Zilog. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University as well as a master’s and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Schmidt is a member of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2006 and inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as a fellow in 2007. Schmidt also chairs the board of the New America Foundation.
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