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Google's Chief Executive Larry Page is continuing his efforts to streamline the company's operations by axing another 10 of their less successful ventures. Since his appointment in January, Page has been determined to move Google away from niche businesses and focus on the bigger products they offer instead.
In an official blog post, aptly titled "A fall spring-clean", Alan Eustace, senior vice president of search said: "This will make things much simpler for our users, improving the overall Google experience. It will also mean we can devote more resources to high impact products—the ones that improve the lives of billions of people." He went on to note that all existing Google staff working on these closed ventures will be moved to other posts throughout the company.
Aardvark will face the axe, despite Google spending a reported $50 million on the purchase of the Social search engine just last year. Other products to be euthanized include Desktop, Fast Flip, Google Maps API for Flash, Google Pack, Google Web Security, Image Labeller, Notebook, Sidewiki and Subscribed Links. All are being shutdown due to low demand and full details about their intended closure dates are available in Google's blog post.
They join a growing list of Google operations shut down under Page's short era of leadership. In June they announced the closure of Google Health and the Google PowerMeter service. Google even closed down their mobile photo-sharing service Photovine just one week after launching it.
In ending his blog post, Eustace commented "We’ve never been afraid to try big, bold things, and that won’t change. We’ll continue to take risks on interesting new technologies with a lot of potential."
User Comments: 18
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Sounds of good business to me.
Who wants to drag a dead dog?
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I just hope they will try new things in the future, even if they eventually don't pan out.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained".
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matrix86 said:
I've never even heard of half of these, lol.
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Neil010 said:
Google Inc. really inspires me! They think BIG. They do BIG.
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Google really needs to make it easier to find their services. I would have used a lot of them if I'd known they existed, and I'm sure a lot of other people would have too.
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TrekExpert said:
No!!! Not Google Desktop!!!
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Google really needs to make it easier to find their services. I would have used a lot of them if I'd known they existed, and I'm sure a lot of other people would have too.
Type www.google.com
Click on more in the black bar at the top of the page, and then select even more and it will come up with the products. Or if your feeling super lazy click here.
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You should arrange your text better. For a while I thought they were shutting down Google Maps.
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Google seems to have too many pages to choose from for a single question. A lot of spam like pages that have nothing to do with my search. I do like the maps of places that instantly are put close to my location though. I wish i could work there, you guys rock
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Or you could just learn to read correctly?
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i have not used most of them.... google's services should easily available and know to everyone.
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Guest said:
You should arrange your text better. For a while I thought they were shutting down Google Maps.
Yeah i had to re-read that as well.
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Why Google Desktop???!
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"It will also mean we can devote more resources to high impact products?the ones that improve the lives of billions of people."
Given that the world population is almost 7 billion and that 48% are in poverty (earning less than $2 per day) and surely plenty more cannot afford a computer or the internet ... is it really correct to say that Google's products improve the lives of billions (ie. in excess of 2 billion) of people?
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You should arrange your text better. For a while I thought they were shutting down Google Maps.Yeah i had to re-read that as well.
No, just the API for flash used with Google Maps.
Thank you for the feedback. I considered it concise enough, but clearly it could be (and was) misunderstood.
Sorry for the confusion.
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learninmypc said:
Google really needs to make it easier to find their services. I would have used a lot of them if I'd known they existed, and I'm sure a lot of other people would have too.http://groups.google.com/?pli=1
http://www.google.com/mapmaker
[link]
[link]
Did I miss any?
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Capaill said:
"It will also mean we can devote more resources to high impact products?the ones that improve the lives of billions of people."
Given that the world population is almost 7 billion and that 48% are in poverty (earning less than $2 per day) and surely plenty more cannot afford a computer or the internet ... is it really correct to say that Google's products improve the lives of billions (ie. in excess of 2 billion) of people?
Perhaps more possible if you consider those indirectly benefiting from Google, too. Say a nurse receiving an e-mail through GMail warning not to use a recent shipment of air fragrances into the air filtration system--thus savings hundreds or thousands from that one single person who used Google's high impact product...
...
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I love Google Desktop.
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