Google Shuts Down More Google Services
Google recently announced through the company's blog post that they will be shutting down 5 more Google services. This is in accordance to the company's "spring cleaning" program.
The spring cleaning program was first implemented last year and it seems like it is also extending into summer. There are 5 Google services that would be discontinued due to being redundant or the lack of users. These Google services include the following:
iGoogle - iGoogle was first launched in 2005 and it will officially close down on November 1, 2013 thus giving iGoogle users 16 months to export their data. Matt Eichner, the general manager for global enterprise search in Google, described this Google service stating "We originally launched iGoogle in 2005 before anyone could fully imagine the ways that today's web and mobile apps would put personalized, real-time information at your fingertips."
Google Video - Google video was Google's own video provider before Google has acquired YouTube. After YouTube was acquired, Google Video services has dwindled down and it already stopped uploading services 2 years ago. Google has announced that they will be moving the service's hosted clips to Youtube. Google Video would be officially closed down on August 20 so that users could take care of their videos in Google Video.
Google Talk Chatback - This Google features enables websites to embed a Google Talk widget for their chat-related needs. Google would be putting a stop to this service as Google has just acquired Meebo and would be actively pushing the Meebo bar.
Google Mini - Google Mini was first introduced in the market last 2005. Googe plans to fully shut down Google Mini on July 31, 2012 and remarked that users could utilize other Google products such as Google Search Appliance, Google Site Search, and Google Commerce Search as replacement for Google Mini.
Symbian Search App - Now that Nokia has already utilized Microsoft's Windows as its OS, its Symbian OS has already closed. In turn, Google would also shutting down its search app for Symbian OS.
Matt Eichner, the general manager for global enterprise released a statement regarding the company's decision to shut down these Google services. Here is what Eichner stated: "Closing products always involves tough choices, but we do think very hard about each decision and its implications for our users. Streamlining our services enables us to focus on creating beautiful technology that will improve people's lives."