When I got the press release about Google's partnership with Univision, the largest Spanish-language online publisher, I was a little underwhelmed. Google doesn't send out many press releases; to its credit, the company leaves inboxes undisturbed unless it has truly important news. So I was perplexed: why all the fuss over a partnership that doesn't seem to contain an actual product? I traded e-mails with Barry Schnitt of Google:

ME:
I'm sorry, but I'm surprised to see this announcement get so much noise.  What am I missing? What does it mean to "receive more relevant,  comprehensive, and timely spanish-language searth results" that can't be  achieved by throwing Google Free onto the site? I understand Google's  apparent wish to stake a claim to the Hispanic market. But what is the  actual product?

BARRY:
Good questions.  They could get the search features through Google Free but not all of the customization.  More importantly, they wouldn't get the revenue from the search ads.  Also, they wouldn't get the placement of or revenue from the content ads.  In return, Google gets distribution of our ads to an important and growing market in the US.