Lyndsay Menzies, MD of Bigmouthmedia UK, writes about Google's new web browser, Google Chrome and whether or not it's going to be worth the hype.

Like everything the Mountain View outfit does, the chances are that Google Chrome will have a major impact upon the market. The company has a track-record of producing innovative and popular products and every company should monitor its development with interest.

That said, it is not yet time to get carried away. The new browser may well bring exciting new opportunities and challenges in the future, but for now you’d be better stepping back from the hype and taking a considered, long-term view.

Claims that Chrome’s much-trumpeted ‘stealth mode’, for example, will somehow slow the expansion of the digital marketing sector are well wide of the mark. Software that allows users to conceal their identities online has been around for years, and in any case this function is an option many users will only use when visiting, um, ‘sensitive’ sites.

Although if widely adopted these technologies might make some aspects of behavioural tracking more challenging, similar software packages have existed for many years now without significantly affecting  the industry’s growth.

 While hardly revolutionary, Google’s pop-up advert blocker will be welcomed by most marketers. Not only does it help combat the cowboy operators, but by adding to the pressure on such tactics we are likely to see spending pushed into the legitimate end of the online display market.

The early reports suggest that Chrome’s new security features will raise the bar for the entire industry and that is to be welcomed, but let’s not assume that the browser will be an automatic success. For all Google’s weight its social-networking site Orkut has hardly set the heather alight and it remains to be seen if their latest project is different enough to spark a mass migration.

Much will be decided over the course of the next few months. Still in the early beta stages, Chrome still has many bugs and although these seem relatively harmless, Google’s success in addressing these issues and building public confidence will be critical.

Certainly, most businesses would be advised to wait for the full release before considering whether to adopt the software.

Others, of course, will be looking nervously behind them and wondering what industry the search giant is going to get its hooks into next. Football clubs? Newspapers? Advertising-supported baked beans?

 Truly, the mind boogles …