Google Continues Its Focus on Social Networking
Google is all a-twitter about social networking. The company continued its buying
spree by
acquiring
the Helsinki-based Jaiku Ltd., a small company with a service similar to
that of Twitter.
Jaiku officials describe their service as one that lets users share their "activity
streams," which can be a log of everyday things as they happen. Such things
can include recommendations, details of events a user is participating in and
photographs. Users can post new items online through instant messages as well
as on mobile phones using text messages.
Jaiku also provides a mobile feature that lets users view items that are posted
by friends in the list of contacts on their phones. Mobile users can also choose
whether they want to share availability status, location and calendar items
with others.
According to its Web site, Jaiku has closed new user registration but is still
permitting existing users to invite others to join. Current users can also sign
up to participate in testing of new services.
Google has been collecting companies like stamps lately. Just two weeks ago,
the company bought Zingku Inc., a mobile social networking company, just as
rumors were circulating that it was in the process of developing its own mobile
phone. Larger acquisitions this year included Postini and YouTube.
Posted by Ed Scannell on October 11, 2007