Well, Dropbox bought Mailbox, which hints that they are keen to 'consumerize' at least some of their business. Which I'm wary about- like when my cellphone provider makes an app to view my bill, the results are invariably awful. There's a lot to be said for focusing on your core competency, but I can understand the desire to not be another "dumb pipe".

being the best dumb pipe is better than being a mediocre value adder imho.

IE Google Fiber, and all the excitement that's generating.

Google aren't just a dumb pipe provider, though. They've gone from utility to consumer and back to utility again.

I very much doubt that. Charging $350 for a large conference is more like break even money - if that.