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Google + Wal-Mart = Echo?

Is the Google + Wal-Mart alliance just window dressing in the eCommerce War? Yes, Wal-Mart gets access to a technology its biggest rival, Amazon, already has in the Echo (see voice ordering) and in return Google gets access to all the purchase history consumers make using the service. But will it be enough to leap-frog Wal-Mart ahead of Amazon? Also, does Google get to serve up ads, content and offers to consumers based on that purchase history even if the offers are for similar products outside of Wal-Mart? With Amazon effectively becoming a commerce search engine unto itself can an alliance beat out an integrated approach? Probably not. Amazon is the main river that all of its tributary businesses flow into so it has a common current (or purpose) whereas Google and Wal-Mart do not. Also, at what point does Google realize that to compete with Amazon not only in e-commerce but also in the cloud AND search it actually needs to be the direct contact point for transactions and breakoff from Wal-Mart a move that would be akin to what Amazon did to Kmart, Barnes & Noble and Target. Now armed with all the precious purchase data and Google Express it can ramp up its own ecommerce arm lot easier or do they just buy Wal-Mart outright. https://www.wsj.com/article_email/wal-mart-and-google-partner-to-challenge-amazon-1503460861-lMyQjAxMTI3MTI3MzgyNTM5Wj/
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