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Google to add social networking features to Gmail
Google Inc. (NASD: GOOG) reportedly is planning to add a new social networking feature on its Gmail Web service, according The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
by Priyanka - February 9, 2010 - comments
As per WSJ reports, Gmail users will get a module that will display status updates from the selected Google contacts, quite similar to MySpace or Facebook offering. Even Yahoo has embraced this feature.
Google might release this new Gmail feature sometime this week that might incorporate video and photo sharing. With this Google wants to offer Gmail users some of the features they get on sites like Twitter/Facebook.
Google spokesperson remained unavailable for comments on the matter.
However, the company did sent invites to the media people on Monday “to see innovations in two of our most popular products” at an event that will be held on Tuesday at Google’s Mountain View, California, headquarters.
Google attempting to be No. 1
ComScore survey reports revealed that in Dec. 2009, 173 million users visited Google’s services. Facebook became the fourth-most-visited site.
Google still has a long road ahead of it before it reaches the coveted No. 1 position of most visited sites.
"Initially, Google misunderstood social media and its significance. They've got the religion now and have been trying ever since to add more social utility. Social is how the Web has evolved," said Greg Sterling, an analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence.
According to Danny Sullivan, editor of the Search Engine Land blog, "If Google can get you to do more things in Gmail, they can sell more ads, because you've spent more time there.”
Google’s move threat to Twitter/Facebook?
Google is not a threat to Twitter as it is a micro-blogging site that broadcasts updates to an unpredictable collection of humans who decide to follow certain profiles. On Twitter users may have zero, one or many followers.
Though, there is an option available for one-on-one contact but most people just broadcast their status. Probably very few people have their actual friends and family following them on Twitter. Generally users are followed by complete strangers.
Meanwhile, Facebook is like an exclusive club, where most people added to the list are known to the user and strangers are left out. In a way Facebook’s friend list resembles actual contact list for many users.
Google’s Gmail may or may not be able to support links to Twitter or Facebook or both. If it does, then "Social Gmail" will simply make it easier for users to post their status updates on Twitter and Facebook.
So how Google intends to compete with these two very different sites singlehandedly? No one knows yet.