Google’s cleanup marathon continues
Google over the years experimented with lots of products with different paradigm. Some were to give the user more complete web experience one way or another relate to its flagship products like – Gmail, Search engine, Chrome, Analytics. On the other hand some were simply its own version of popular products to give others run for their money or just to prove we can do better. It even acquires several products over the year – like most software giants do, to expand its product base.
But as we all know you can’t be good at everything, some of Google’s experiment paid off some didn’t, and some didn’t even make it to count as viable product. Well that’s the game isn’t it, keep innovating –otherwise you won’t keep up with the flow of tide of technology. So what you do when you have lots of nonproductive stuffs in the house? You either do a garage sell or through it away right? For companies such as Google they either sell their products that’s not making that much of buck (which happens not so often, as products failed to generate buzz to be considered as failed products) or just shut it down and cut your losses to make room for new products/innovation.
So now Google’s 3rd tier of spring cleanup it shutting down few of its products, not all of them are experimental. The products that will be discontinued –
- Google Bookmarks Lists – Ending on December 19, 2011
- Google Friend Connect – Ending on March 1, 2012
- Google Gears – Ending on December 1, 2011
- Google Search Timeline – No date specified
- Google Wave – Ending on January 31, 2012
- Knol – Ending on April 30, 2012
- Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE<C) – No Date specified
See the blog post by Google for more details on how to export your data from the products scheduled to be axed.
On 2nd tier of cleanup Google announced shutting down of – Google Pack, Google Desktop, Google Web Security, Aardvark (Acquired in Feb 2010),Jaiku (Acquired in2007), Fast Flip, Google Maps API for Flash, Google Notebook, Sidewiki, Subscribed Links.
On first tier of cleanup Google announced kill order for – Google labs, Boutiques.com, Like.com.
As you can see in three tiers Google planned to axe or already killed total of 19 of its products. This is a major shakeups and shift of focus from Google. Though this marathon shutting down will seriously affect existing users who jump on the bandwagon and now have to export their data but this will allow Google to focus on new innovation.
As tech enthusiast we all wants to see innovative Google with killer products, so the sooner Google kill its not so hot products the better 