Google Buzz is what Twitter should have been

By | 16 February, 2010

 

After iPad, the web was waiting for a new buzz and  found it in Google Buzz – the new social feature from Google. Google Buzz is directly embedded into GMail (just below the Inbox).

Let me start with the name Buzz. My question is how could someone not think of Buzz till now? It is simple and profound. Not obscure as Twitter. Most importantly Buzz is what it social media should have been all this while.

Google is known for its simplistic interface and naming convention, be it GMail, Google Wave, Google Reader or any of its ‘own’ products. Google Buzz takes it a notch higher. After the name comes the placement of the service. It is not launched as a separate service like Google Wave. Buzz is directly integrated into GMail and that is a killer move. Google couldn’t have placed Buzz better.

Google’s regular invite only has served it well in the past. It has created suspense in the web world. There were two groups of people. One who got the invites and the other who didn’t. With Buzz, Google changed that. In a span of three days Google Buzz is open to all GMail users. Google, by now, has realized that it is late and losing in the social media game and launched it to all the users. It also shirked its traditional Beta tag, which is usually attached to a new service.

Google Buzz is what Twitter should have been. But never mind. After Twitter acquired 30 million odd subscribers, Buzz came into picture. Though it will not affect Twitter immediately Twitter’s growth will slow down. With 38 million GMail users on hand, Buzz will eat into Twitter and Facebook’s lunch and dinner. With Buzz I don’t need to install any new applications. It is right there in the email and I can post a picture or a video or text. What we need is an ecosystem of killer applications built on top of Buzz.

Google has tried social media features in few of its products. It even bought the social networking site Orkut, which never gained enough ground. With Buzz, Google has a winner. Now, what is the trending topic on that thing Twitter?

PS : Some dubbed Buzz as Gwitter, but I like the name Buzz better. Google Buzz – How cool is that?

 



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