Users of Google Finance will soon learn if the internet company will offer real-time stock quotes on its websites. If approved by the SEC, Google will stream real-time, last-sale prices for stocks across Google Finance, Personal Google home pages, Google Mobile, and Google.com .
“The more up-to-date the information, the more valuable it is,” said Katie Jacobs Stanton, Group Product Manager.
“This is particularly true in the world of finance; information, and timing of that information, is money. Today, real-time quotes are not freely and easily available on the web. Some websites offer one real-time quote at a time, but typically only after you have enrolled in a service and/or signed a complicated legal agreement. Other sites approach the problem differently and show you streaming delayed data, but that doesn’t solve the problem either — it masks it.”
With that as a focus, they began working with the D.C Trade Association, the NYSE, the SEC, and NetCoalition, to get the permissions to stream live, stock data free on its website.
This type of free service would be the first of its kind, and it is no surprise that Google is the one to attempt it. Some would argue that this is another attempt to take over a business sector that they have no business in. Those who do have a point perhaps, but they are missing one very important point. Google has always offered services, and always offered them free.
No one would ever think Google would attempt to become brokers, and offer trades, but this service is one many serious investors want, and first time investors will watch closely. This could theoretically be the start of a new era in stocks and investments. Such readily available information and Google’s tendencies to be user friendly, one can recognize that more consumers will see the advantage to investment.
Google reported that the NYSE submitted a proposal to the SEC dated January 11, 2007, which if approved, would allow this service to commence. Time will tell how effective this service will be to companies and personal investors in the future.
Â
