Monday, October 5, 2015

"Don't be evil" missing as Google becomes Alphabet

"Don't be evil" missing as Google becomes Alphabet

On October 2,  Google completed the process of its transformation into a holding company called Alphabet. Google will now be solely responsible for search, ads, maps, apps, YouTube, Android and related technical infrastructure.

The structural overhaul was announced back in August, is to separate the core businesses from ventures such as the driverless cars, glucose-monitoring contact lenses and Internet-connected high-altitude balloons. Google's Sidewalk Labs, which is dedicated to coming up technologies to improve urban city infrastructure such as WiFi program, will now also be part of Alphabet.

The core business will be Google, headed by Sundar Pichai and will be operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet which will be run by Google co-founder Larry Page, and each of its businesses will have its own Chief executive.

Starting from Q4 in January, Alphabet will have two reporting units- the first being Google and the the second Alphabet businesses taken as a whole. Alphabet's businesses will also include connected home products maker Nest, venture capital arm Google ventures and Google Capital, which invests in larger tech companies.

Now, with Google having transformed into Alphabet, a new code of conduct for its employees was posted by Alphabet on its website. Earlier it was Don't be evil' and the new code of conduct is “do the right thing – follow the law, act honorably, and treat each other with respect.”

Google's Old code of conduct, 'Don't be evil' was written for its 2004 IPO was much longer and included rules relating to co-worker relationships, pets and at-work alcohol consumption, while Alphabet's sticks to the basics like avoid conflict of interest, maintain integrity and obey law. Since the majority of Alphabet employees will still be Google employees, this change affects them also.


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