Here it is folks the announcement from Google about Google Base. It all sounds quite benign, especially the examples provided. Newspaper publishers will have to react quickly and decisively but even that will be too late. Google Base is the tipping point for classified advertising. It is disruption on a massive scale. Everyone relying on print classified advertising for business needs to be playing elsewhere. Some smart newspaper publishers will embrace and partner with Google Base.
My concern is for Australian small business newsagents, many of whom have no real idea of Google let along Google Base. These folks rely on newspaper sales for 50% of their traffic. 66% of newspapers sold are sold alone. That is, without newspapers their business model is severely damaged. I appreciate that you cannot hold back progress and that Google is doing what Google needs to do for its shareholders. These small businesses need their own response but before they can determine that they need to know there is a problem. Given the history of the Australian newsagency channel publishers have an educative obligation.
Google Base will be huge on all the fronts we know of today and then some.