I have a belief in Google and that belief is Google would if it could host all data. It would also if it could control, manage, or observe all client and business interaction over a network.
I am not the only one around the web that believes this, but I think after Google Base it became more obvious to many of us.
**UPDATE: Ning is no longer a build your apps website but a social networking application. Oh and I was so right in this prediction since Google is trying to host more apps and is becoming more of a platform e.g. The Google App Engine. We wrote about this new service recently - Google: Announces Amazon Web Services competitor.
So here is my prediction Google will splash out and buy Ning, the king of web app cloning. The reason is that in one buy they have a platform that is a hosted only web service (good), has many apps that mimic competitors in areas that Google doesn’t compete or hasn’t competed very well in and it allows them to have an active playground for newly launched products. Launch it first in Ning (kind of like a Labs release) and see what the reaction is then roll it out based on feedback. All the while tracking user habits and learning more about users and how they interact with the web (Ning).
Also Ning currently uses Google Maps UK exclusively and often on their site and that should generate strong ad revenue once Google decides to go hardcore commercial with Google Maps.
A bit about Ning:
Ning is a cloning web service. They take applications that are popular on the web and make a cheap (not always) nock off of the service. Some examples of this are - Am I hot or not, Bookmarking (similar to del.icio.us), etc. If you haven’t checked it out its a really ‘interesting’ service.
We shall see I guess. I just had to throw a prediction out there because I always love it when I read blogs and guys make ballsy predictions. Well this one is mine and I think something like this is going to happen, I just think Ning is the best choice.
What do you think? Just how nuts am I? 
Ping THIS!
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