Google+ Seeks to Oust Facebook from Lofty Social Media Perch

I know, I know – we’re a computer rental company.

But given the importance and impact of social media on the world around us, even something as mundane as an IT rental business can become affected. And when it comes to this cutting-edge sort of stuff, if you’re not there, you’re, well… square.

Google’s jealousy of Facebook’s influence is no secret in the tech world. The company has made several highly publicized attempts to break into the market, which have thus far failed (Google Wave, Google +1, etc.), but it doesn’t seem like the big G is going to remain deterred for long.

Google+ is its newest venture on to the social media scene, and it is comprised of several key components.

Here they are:

Google Hangouts

Inspired, perhaps, by Skype’s bajillion dollar price tag, Google Hangouts lets users webchat easily among their peer groups. It notifies everyone when users are logged in and available on camera.

Google Circle

Compartmentalization? Check. Google Circle is basically just a fancy way to categorize your different contacts into neat little groups.

Google Sparks

This component functions similarly to a message board – it allows users to create threads, or discussions, that are relevant. Other users can see them and chime in.

Google Mobile

Ahh, poor Foursquare – we knew him well. Google Mobile, while it only works on the Android platform for now, works just like Foursquare. Users can tag posts with their geographic location.

Google Huddle

This is very similar to Facebook’s Events function, except that it also hybridizes with a chat feature. It’s great for planning on the go – I’ll admit that much.

In Conclusion…

I applaud Google for its efforts – it took the best aspects of the social media world and brought them to one, highly accessible location. Due to their budget, their audience, and their exposure, this latest effort does seem like it could become a Facebook killer.

We tried to make an account to test it out, but unfortunately, they’re full on up of testers.

So… we submitted our name and are waiting impatiently in the queue. At any rate, when it's time and you want to Google+ us, find us at socialmedia@vernoncomputersource.com. We'll be sure to plus you back (man, that sounds weird).