GOOGLE

Google: More than just a search engine

The average person knows about Google as a search engine but do they know about the rest of the corporation?

Introduction

Google Co-Founder Larry Page once said: "The perfect search engine would understand exactly what you mean and give back exactly what you want. Google launched in 1998 and quickly became the largest search engine on the internet. It is used internationally and has become a part of daily life for most internet users. Google has changed the way we interact with the internet’s resources and has set the industry standard. However Google is more than a search engine now, it has expanded into advertising, mapping, instant messaging, videos, blogging and more. There is a future for Google that not many people know about but it’s kind of a big deal.

History

Originally a research project, Google started in 1996 as a concept between Larry Page and Sergey Brin, both from Stanford University. Their goal was to create a search engine that could analyze the relationships between websites and create better search results based on those relationships. The Google website was popular because of its clean and simple design layout. Once the google.com website got off the ground in 2007 they needed to find a way to make money. They began selling advertisements that related to the search keywords. Google charged for each click made from their website. Google became the most popular search engine which caused “YAHOO!” to become a thing of the past.

Growth

Once Google had their search engine in the bag, they were able to expand by acquiring other companies. The first of those companies was Pyra Labs, the creators of Blogger, in 2001. In 2006, Google purchased Writely, an online word processor. This program featured technology that Google used towards creating Google Docs & Spreadsheets. One of the most popular acquisitions by Google was that of YouTube.com in 2006. Google paid $1.56 billion in stock and YouTube is still growing. In the last two years Google has also purchased JotSpot, DoubleClick and Postini.

In addition to acquiring companies, Google has also partnered with companies to create a symbiotic relationship and gain from one another. Currently Google is working with NASA on developing research projects involving nanotechnology and other space related areas. Sun Microsystems, who originally helped Google get off the ground, have partnered in order to help each other share and distribute one another’s technologies. In order to improve one another’s video search, Google and Time Warner AOL have also established ties. Most recently News Corp. paid Google $900 million to provide search and advertising on their site, Myspace.com.

Google has also been able to create new services that have helped their company grow. While they currently have about 15+ applications for the desktop alone, they have also gone into mobile phones, publishing and radio. Some of their most popular applications are Gmail or “Google Mail”, Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Talk, Picasa and Google Video. Each application follows the same rules that were established in the beginning. These rules are the:

Ten things Google has found to be true

1. Focus on the user and all else will follow.

2. It's best to do one thing really, really well.

3. Fast is better than slow.

4. Democracy on the web works.

5. You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer.

6. You can make money without doing evil.

7. There's always more information out there.

8. The need for information crosses all borders.

9. You can be serious without a suit.

10. Great just isn't good enough.

Behind the Scenes

Sleek design and a smart, clever personality make Google who they are and why they are so cool. They stand apart from every other search engine on the internet and they make their user want to like them. In addition to having their users be their number one fan, they have created a work environment that is also appealing. Googleplex, in Mountain View, California is the home base of Google. The workplace of a Google employee is unlike any other. The campus not only has a gym and swimming pools, but it has a dozen cafés with free lunch and dinner, volleyball court, free laundry facilities, child care, electric cars, on site oil changes, car washes, dry cleaning, massages, hair stylists, doctors and bike repairs. There is a work shuttle powered by biodiesel with free wifi. The list goes on but one of the coolest parts about working there is the 20% rule. Workers are asked to spend 20% of their day working on an outside project. Google even lists their top 10 reasons to work there on their website:

Top 10 Reasons to Work at Google

1. Lend a helping hand.

2. Life is beautiful.

3. Appreciation is the best motivation.

4. Work and play are not mutually exclusive.

5. We love our employees, and we want them to know it.

6. Innovation is our bloodline.

7. Good company everywhere you look.

8. Uniting the world, one user at a time.

9. Boldly go where no one has gone before.

10. There is such a thing as a free lunch after all.

There is a witty sense of humor to Google that really draws attention from their users. From their corporate information page to their holiday Google banners that offer up a slight twist to the Google image. They have even used April Fool’s Day to their advantage and played pranks on their website.

Philanthropy

It would be expected of Google to be involved in philanthropy somehow but of course Google goes above and beyond. In 2004, Google.org was created. This non-profit was given a start up fund of $1 billion and is continuing to grow. Their mission statement says “Google.org aspires to use the power of information and technology to address the global challenges of our age: climate change, poverty and emerging disease. In collaboration with experienced partners working in each of these fields, we will invest our resources and tap the strengths of Google’s employees and global operations to advance five major initiatives.” Many of the workers at Google work on projects within this area because of the technological ties in energy research through fuel and vehicles.

Nothing’s Perfect

Google has been criticized by many. Such a large company can expect that any day but Google is pushing limits and going places that haven’t been traveled before. One of those places is creating an online and searchable database of digitalized books. Copyright has become an issue but isn’t stopping Google. I imagine books will be digital in the next 5 years and I think there will still be room for the physical demand for books in print. Many companies have stirred controversy with Google, mostly claiming small slip ups and demanding money. But all of this is expected and it won’t harm Google in the long run.

Opinion

I am a big fan of Google personally. As a graphic designer, I have a huge amount of respect for their design department and their attention to detail. I use their programs and find them to be the most well laid out visually and have the best user interfaces. I believe it takes genius companies like Google to raise the bar and push the industries to go beyond what is already available and still have a good head on their shoulders. I will forever respect Google for changing my outlook and need for the internet even if they were to never do another project again. I look forward to the future of Google because of what they are working on as far as energy and resources.

Conclusion

So what happens when you google, Google? You are given many options of what Google has to offer. From Google Talk to Maps to Earth to Gmail, Google is a company to watch out for. Not only have they accomplished so much to date, they are still just getting started. Their company puts forward a young, clean, and smart aesthetic that has kept them in the lead and will continue to help them grow in the future.