Aside from the exciting Google Glass demonstration, the 2012 Google I/O conference will probably be remembered as the one that brought Google Chrome to the forefront. Sure, the browser has already experienced great success, especially when the prerendering of web pages is factored in, but this year, Google put Chrome on their front-and-center pedestal, focusing on cloud browsing, Chrome for Android, while revealing to the world that, even thought it’s a free program, still makes money for Google.

During an interview with C/Net, it was revealed that not only is Chrome’s popularity continuing to upwardly trend, because it is Google’s creation, the company doesn’t have to share revenue generated from search queries like it does when searches are conducted from the Firefox and Safari browsers.

C/Net’s interview has the details:

Is Chrome as a project profitable?

At a high level, it is an exceptionally profitable product for us. We don’t share the number of employees or break out finances.

Most of the revenue comes from search ads?

Search is an integral part of Google revenue. That’s the biggest area. But it is more. When users have been using Chrome, it tends to drive Web usage up, so it’s display ads too, not just search ads. And it’s a driver of Google Apps. Google Docs offline works in Chrome. Both Chrome and Android bring together a lot of our services, so they have a huge business value for us.

We have barely scratched the surface of the impact of doing Chrome on mobile. Using Chrome increases how much you use the Web.

How does TAC change with Chrome because don’t have to share revenue with others that drive traffic to Google?

This is part of the reason Chrome is exceptionally profitable for us. We don’t break the numbers down.

Ah, yes, more Google obfuscation. Chrome is profitable because we don’t check the numbers? Does this mean that if Google started checking the numbers, Chrome would all-of-a-sudden stop making money? Of course not. Google is just more comfortable with some things remaining a mystery, and as one of the most profitable Internet companies in the world, it’s hard to argue with that strategy of not revealing every detail about the company.

[Lead image courtesy]