The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Google 2.0: From search engine to media powerhouse

A timely Google snapshot 

Meanwhile, the offline moves of Google 2.0 are ringing alarm bells on Madison Avenue, where advertising deals are still sometimes conducted via fax machines.

"The fear with Google is it is so superefficient, so automated, who needs the agencies?" said Joe Mandese, editor in chief of MediaPost, an online publication that chronicles the media industry.

Microsoft, itself a convicted monopolist, has been warning that Google may soon have the power to fix the prices publishers receive. Without healthy competition, "Google will tell you exactly what you get to charge for ads," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told the Mercury News.

Source: The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Google 2.0: From search engine to media powerhouse