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


Featured