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Google creates Buzz with new social network site in Gmail
Source: Agencies |
February 11, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
GOOGLE Inc is tapping its huge network of Gmail users and Web surfers to create a Buzz that it hopes will help it catch up with online social networking leaders Facebook and Twitter.
The world's No. 1 search engine launched Google Buzz, which allows users to quickly share messages, Web links and photos with friends and colleagues directly within Gmail, the company's e-mail product.
Also, a new arsenal of products make the new social networking features compatible with mobile devices such as smart phones based on Google's Android operating system.
Google's new technology mimics some of the key features of popular social networking services like Twitter and Facebook, which are increasingly challenging Google for Web surfers' online time.
By integrating Buzz directly into Gmail, Google hopes to jump start its social networking push by leveraging the large pool of Gmail users.
"There's always been a giant social network underneath Gmail," said Todd Jackson, product manager at Google's Mountain View, California, headquarters on Tuesday.
Gmail is the third most popular Web-based e-mail in the world, with 176.5 million unique visitors in December, according to comScore. Microsoft Corp's Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo Inc's Mail were No. 1 and No. 2, with 369.2 million and 303.7 million unique visitors, respectively.
Google will roll out Buzz to Gmail users over the next few days, it said.
Status messages that users publish on Buzz and flag as viewable to everyone will be automatically indexed by Google's search engine and be available within Google's recently launched real-time search results. Google said users can also keep messages private by sharing only with customized groups of friends and colleagues.
Executives said users can easily share content from various Google online properties like photo-sharing service Picasa and video site YouTube.
Content from certain third-party services such as Twitter can also be shared, although users can only see Twitter messages within Buzz and can't publish new messages.
Executives said that Buzz is not currently able to display messages that originated on Facebook, the world's top social network with 400 million active users.
"The fact that Gmail did not connect and allow broadcasts out to Twitter and Facebook could be a real challenge to them," said Forrester Research social media analyst Augie Ray. But he noted that Google's experience giving relevant search results could be a strength for the company in social media as users are increasingly inundated with status messages.
The company also announced a Buzz mobile application to run on phones based on Google's Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian.
The world's No. 1 search engine launched Google Buzz, which allows users to quickly share messages, Web links and photos with friends and colleagues directly within Gmail, the company's e-mail product.
Also, a new arsenal of products make the new social networking features compatible with mobile devices such as smart phones based on Google's Android operating system.
Google's new technology mimics some of the key features of popular social networking services like Twitter and Facebook, which are increasingly challenging Google for Web surfers' online time.
By integrating Buzz directly into Gmail, Google hopes to jump start its social networking push by leveraging the large pool of Gmail users.
"There's always been a giant social network underneath Gmail," said Todd Jackson, product manager at Google's Mountain View, California, headquarters on Tuesday.
Gmail is the third most popular Web-based e-mail in the world, with 176.5 million unique visitors in December, according to comScore. Microsoft Corp's Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo Inc's Mail were No. 1 and No. 2, with 369.2 million and 303.7 million unique visitors, respectively.
Google will roll out Buzz to Gmail users over the next few days, it said.
Status messages that users publish on Buzz and flag as viewable to everyone will be automatically indexed by Google's search engine and be available within Google's recently launched real-time search results. Google said users can also keep messages private by sharing only with customized groups of friends and colleagues.
Executives said users can easily share content from various Google online properties like photo-sharing service Picasa and video site YouTube.
Content from certain third-party services such as Twitter can also be shared, although users can only see Twitter messages within Buzz and can't publish new messages.
Executives said that Buzz is not currently able to display messages that originated on Facebook, the world's top social network with 400 million active users.
"The fact that Gmail did not connect and allow broadcasts out to Twitter and Facebook could be a real challenge to them," said Forrester Research social media analyst Augie Ray. But he noted that Google's experience giving relevant search results could be a strength for the company in social media as users are increasingly inundated with status messages.
The company also announced a Buzz mobile application to run on phones based on Google's Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian.
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