Google+ Starts Breathing Down LinkedIn's Neck

With upgrades that cater to business and professional users, Google+ may be causing some raw nerves at LinkedIn. "The professional functionality of G+ combined with search and the new features being added could allow it to surpass LinkedIn as a professional social networking platform and tool in the future," said William J. Ward, social media professor at Syracuse University.

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) has made a slew of updates to its Google+ social network. It has added new features, provided integration with Google Apps, and made the network available to businesses, universities, and schools that use Google Apps.

The point behind the upgrades is to continue to drive traffic to the fledgling network and fight the feature wars with other social networks, said Gabe Donnini, lead analyst at Chitika.

"By integrating its popular services into Google+, Google hopes to see its users increase," Donnini told TechNewsWorld. "It also realizes it has to keep on matching what Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn offer their users -- although in just one network."

Google was unable to respond to TechNewsWorld's request to comment for this story.

New Features

Among the new features is "What's Hot," which shows trending topics on the site and lets users add a particular poster to their Circles from that list.

View Ripples, an experimental feature, lets users see how popular their posts are. It also provides a visualization tool to gauge the activity of other posts. Users can replay activity, zoom in on particular events, and identify top contributors, among other things.

Google+ is also adding Creative Kit, a simplified photo-editing tool, to its menu of options. To promote its use, Google is offering Halloween-oriented special effects and inviting users to submit their creations for a contest. Google will choose the winner on Nov. 3.

Integrating Google Apps

The biggest boost to the Google+ user base will likely come from its integration of Google Apps and the link it is providing businesses and universities. The integration means that users can not only share items within a circle or publicly, but also with everyone in an organization.

Google is getting ready to roll out a tool that will allow existing users to migrate their Google+ profiles to a Google Apps account.

"With this tool, you won't have to rebuild your circles, and people who've already added you to their circles will automatically be connected to your new profile," Google Product Manager Ronald Ho said in a blog post.

Not So Casual

Bringing Google Apps into the mix lends a certain gravitas to Google+ that Facebook doesn't have, William J. Ward, social media professor at Syracuse University, told TechNewsWorld.

"The new features and functionality of Google+ and the accessibility of apps is distinguishing G+ as a social enterprise and professional tool compared to Facebook, which is still seen as a casual social tool," he said.

Then there are the tools themselves, which work well in a corporate environment. "G+ Circles, Hangouts, Hashtags and Google Docs is a powerful combination for organizing information and teams for collaboration, communication and curation," Ward said.

"The privacy policy and settings of G+ also allow you to create private conversations in your social streams more easily than Facebook," he pointed out.

Facebook has a legacy and reputation problem, Ward continued. At the same time, the networking capabilities of LinkedIn are limited in their use, at least compared with what Google is building with Google+.

"The professional functionality of G+ combined with search and the new features being added could allow it to surpass LinkedIn as a professional social networking platform and tool in the future," Ward said.
Security Issues?

It seems as though some of Facebook's legacy issues are rubbing off on Google+, however, with the end result being that large business buyers don't necessarily trust Google's security, suggested Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group.

Those concerns are deep enough that the enhancements to Google+ could prove to be a wash, in his view.

"Businesses are particularly concerned that Google apps have become corrupted by malware," Enderle told TechNewsWorld.

"They are concerned about Facebook, and most are discussing launching private social networks that are secure but are concerned whether employees will use them," he said. "In the interim, unless Google can address the security concerns more aggressively, it is unlikely they will be successful in business to a large degree with Google +."

http://www.technewsworld.com

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Google's Maps Street View service pilots indoor photos

Google has started a pilot project allowing the public to look inside shops and other businesses found on its maps.

The feature is an extension of the firm's Street View technology, which already lets users view 360-degree exterior images.

The existing service prompted some privacy complaints from people who claimed the technology was intrusive.

However, Google said the new scheme was on a completely voluntary basis.

"Building on the Google Art Project, which took Street View technology inside 17 acclaimed museums, this project is another creative implementation of Street View technology, to help businesses as they build their online presence," said a company spokesman.

"We hope to enable businesses to highlight the qualities that make their locations stand out through professional, high-quality imagery."

 An Australian chocolate shop is one of the first retailers to sign up to the service

 

First steps

 

Initially the roll-out is limited to select locations including London, Paris and a number of cities in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the US. 

The US company said it was beginning the process by inviting the most searched types of businesses to request a visit by its photographers.

Google said these included restaurants, hotels, shops, gyms and vehicle repair workshops.

However, it has ruled out big-brand chains for the time being. Hospitals and lawyers' offices have also been excluded.

Business owners are told they must warn their customers and employees about the photoshoot before it begins. Google has promised it will blur out or refuse to publish any images that include bystanders.

The photoshoots will produce 360-degree images using fish-eye and wide-angle lenses as well as stills. Business owners are also invited to upload their own pictures.

The search site notes that all photographs taken will become its property and that they may be used for other applications. Business owners may request their removal, but the terms and conditions do not include a commitment to comply.

"Retail is always a competitive sector, but this is particularly true at a time of falling disposable incomes," said Sarah Cordey, spokeswoman for the British Retail Consortium.

"Many retailers are increasing their online presence and use of technological innovations, so this is a development some businesses will no doubt consider with interest."

http://www.bbc.co.uk

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