Hey Facebook! It's Google +. Getting Nervous Yet?
After only three months in beta and within a week of full launch, Google+ now has an estimated 50+ million users.
Not a bad start for a product from a company that has been singularly unsuccessful in all things social.
And this is just the beginning. How do we know? Because Larry Page says so.
Going Social
When Larry Page took over as CEO from Eric Schmidt, he made it exquisitely and excruciatingly clear from the outset that Google's focus was social. In everything. All the time.
Not only was all product development now to be targeting the social space, but remuneration - like salaries and bonuses - across the corporation were going to depend upon the contribution toward Google's move to social as well.
And while that got a lot of Googlers (i.e., Google employees) angry - it galvanized the organization and pointed it in exactly the direction that Page wanted.
Google+ is only one part of that strategy. Think Google Offers. Or Google Wallet. Or anything else Google puts its mind to - because it has the smarts and it has built an ecosystem that is becoming all the more completely and beautifully integrated with each product.
From Failure to Success
After one failed try after another (think Google Wave), Google finally figured out what it would take to create success from failure.
And Facebook is watching. Closely. As well they should, because the biggest single indicator that Google+ is a serious competitor to Facebook is the shift in demographics of the users since full launch.
When Google first introduced Google+, it was by invitation only. They invited only those - mostly in the technology or technology reporting space - that were likely early adopters and who would be good communication conduits.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati