By: Aseem Gaurav on June 29, 2011
The Internet search giant has launched a social networking service, called Google+, that aims to rival the growing influence of Facebook.
Google+ lets a small group of users share streaming status updates, photos and links, comments, IM and video chat.
The service aims to provide better security than Facebook. Users can create groups on relationships, hobbies or shared interests, families and those with shared interests, e.g. like mobile apps.
After signing up, you’ll receive a custom user profile which provides the option to share or hide or personal information such as birthdates and locations. The service integrates maps, images, Gmail contacts, along with options to skim Web articles and videos through a feature known as Sparks.
In it Google is also giving Hangouts group video chat option which allows people to simultaneously videoconference with other people.
Vic Gundotra, a Google senior vice president who has presided over the company's social-networking initiatives since last year, in a blogpost said "the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of" today's online social networks. "And we aim to fix it.”
Google’s attempt to launch this service is seen by analysts to take Facebook head on in the categories like: Time spent and pages viewed. comScore recently said users spent 62 per cent more time on Facebook than on Google last month.
Given that Google’s previous major social attempts like such Orkut and Buzz are largely considered failures, the company this time is a bit cautious and it has launched it in a beta mode, which means others need to be invited to the service to use it.
The Internet search giant has launched a social networking service, called Google+, that aims to rival the growing influence of Facebook.
Google+ lets a small group of users share streaming status updates, photos and links, comments, IM and video chat.
The service aims to provide better security than Facebook. Users can create groups on relationships, hobbies or shared interests, families and those with shared interests, e.g. like mobile apps.
After signing up, you’ll receive a custom user profile which provides the option to share or hide or personal information such as birthdates and locations. The service integrates maps, images, Gmail contacts, along with options to skim Web articles and videos through a feature known as Sparks.
In it Google is also giving Hangouts group video chat option which allows people to simultaneously videoconference with other people.
Vic Gundotra, a Google senior vice president who has presided over the company's social-networking initiatives since last year, in a blogpost said "the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of" today's online social networks. "And we aim to fix it.”
Google’s attempt to launch this service is seen by analysts to take Facebook head on in the categories like: Time spent and pages viewed. comScore recently said users spent 62 per cent more time on Facebook than on Google last month.
Given that Google’s previous major social attempts like such Orkut and Buzz are largely considered failures, the company this time is a bit cautious and it has launched it in a beta mode, which means others need to be invited to the service to use it.
