We remember that they already attempted to do it before by launching brand names such as Wave and Buzz but, inevitably, had to put them both aside, and needed to come up with something else with no time to waste, not precisely because they cannot afford being out of the competition, but because it is a matter of
corporate image. A company the size and relevance of Google cannot end up in a similar position.
corporate image. A company the size and relevance of Google cannot end up in a similar position.
Even though Wave had some innovative capabilities, it was going to compete using a diferent software framework centered on online real-time collaborative editing, which users would have to learn and get used to, in order to fully take advantage of it as a nifty communication option. Google + is not another Wave because it actually uses features that people have already been using for quite some time, and since they are familiar with their use on some social sites, they will not have to learn new tools, and that is something we really appreciate.
Compared to Facebook and Twitter, Google + has some especial features that sets it apart from both of them and should give it a good advantage. Things like Sparks, Hangouts, Circles, and Huddles are options that allow us to do things like finding content on a large variety of subjects, gratis video conferencing with up to 25 people at the same time, organize the contacts we share updates with by grouping them according to personal criteria, or the possibility of chatting with many friends at the same time. These and other features as well as other to come are not bad if we think that users are already familiar with, and would normally expect, them to be provided by any social networking service nowadays.
