Google recently changed the format of their increasingly popular and dominant Gmail service.  Free to individuals, and a great application for businesses, the Gmail platform dominates the world of digital, written communications.  So I was excited to see the recent change in format to Gmail (which I use for both personal e-mails and for my corporate e-mail platform).  Google’s explanation of the changes made perfect sense to me.  I always opt in early for their changes and did this time as well.  And I really like the changes that give me an Inbox, a Social Inbox, and a Promotions Inbox.

But the “Social” and the “Promotions” people and companies do not like it at all.  And why would they?  Gmail has essentially put them on the back burner.  All those companies that send me tens of e-mails per day are not happy.  Their livelihoods are threatened.  And its not just that Google is putting them on the back burner.  Google’s change to Gmail makes Google’s primary offering (paid advertisements) more attractive to companies.  What a brilliant strategic move by Google.  Not just hurt the competition, but increase the value of your product at the same time.

Businessweek has the article.