Has Google been a one-trick wonder?

Google is the stuff of legends.

In just 13 years, it has gone from scratch to being a $30 billion company (in terms of revenue) and one of the biggest brands in the world.

Its search revolutionised the Internet. It's been the darling of the media world.

But one nagging question remains.

Has Google been a one-trick wonder?

While it is an undisputed giant in the search space, has it actually managed to make a major breakthrough to become a market leader in anything else that spells big business?

99% of Google's revenues come from advertising. It is heavily dependent on AdWords and AdSense.

You could say that it has all its eggs in one basket. The 'trick' it has is downright brilliant, but it is 'one-trick' all the same.

While the battle pitched between Google and Microsoft has been going on for quite some time now, Apple seemed to have gone quietly ahead of the game in terms of market capitalisation (at least before Steve Jobs passed away) and pure innovation.

All the old companies boast of a host of successful products across many years. How does Google fare if one leaves 'search' out of the picture?

Image: Hong Kong government representatives and Google officials pose during the groundbreaking ceremony of Google's Data Center in Hong Kong Thursday Dec.8, 2011. Google Inc. says it will spend $300 million on the new data center in Hong Kong that will be up and running by 2013 as it beefs up infrastructure to keep pace with rapidly rising Asian Internet use.

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