Google Goes Social With Google+

Online search giant Google has unveiled a new product called Google+, which is the company’s latest attempt to break into the social networking market. Being in control of so many different products and niches on the internet, many consider this to be Google’s attempt to take part of Facebook’s user base. Google+ has similar features to Facebook, but also provides an easy way to manage contacts into groups, and integrates the company’s maps and images into the service.

The new social network Google+ contains a few key features that could make Google a permanent player in social networking. Circles, a system that allows users to place friends into groups, allowing them to share different forms of content with targeted clusters of friends; Hangouts, live multi-user video conferencing that permits friends to drop in and out of live group conversations; and lastly, Sparks, a feature that connects individuals on the network to others with common interests.

Google+ also features integration with Google’s Picasa picture manager. Picasa is easier to use and has many more features than anything Facebook has so far. Google has also made sure to attract mobile users right away, by concurrently having both an Android app and iPhone app at the ready. The current version of Google+ has only been released to a small number of users, which is being called a closed beta.

In short, Google+ is just another social network. The initial feature set and hype around the product both seem to be pretty strong. What remains to be seen is if people will enjoy using it, and like it enough to convert themselves and their friends to it. Facebook already has the huge user base, but Google+ is fresh and advertisement-free. I think Google+ has a lot of promise and is definitely worth giving a shot, that is if you’re able to find yourself an invite.