Google is officially on Facebook, and the people approve.
But no, not in a way that actually makes sense, Microsoft already has that covered.
Google has quietly rolled out its own Facebook page, and the search giant's presence on the world's most popular social network is just another example of Google's masterly online marketing strategy.
Any reader of Google's assortment of company blogs (they have about 50 of them) know that these regularly updated, often insightful entries, are excellent sources for what's new and exciting in Google camp.
Now users have another source via Facebook to keep in touch.
Since the Google Facebook page launched over the weekend it has garnered about 300,000 'fans', perpetrating the general idea that the company could still shy away from any sort of traditional marketing and still be loved, dearly, by the populous.
The company is also a large advocate of Twitter, most recently integrating the service in a -gasp! - marketing campaign for Google Apps.
The Google Facebook page bares little significance in real terms, in fact, I bet most people already figured such a thing existed.
But it does perhaps speak to the cooling of tensions between these two former bitter rivals.
Their history goes way, way, back in time to the year 2007, when Google was on the brink of acquiring Facebook, or rather, purchasing a stake in the company.
In the end, Facebook snubbed Google, and went with Microsoft instead, which ended up purchasing a 1.6% stake at $240m. (Whew, doing the math puts Facebook valuation at $15bn, just two years ago).
Microsoft and Facebook are still involved, as Bing is the go-to search engine within the social network.
Perhaps Google's Facebook page is indeed an important ceremonious act, like the appearance of the Queen, or giving someone the last Quality Street: is Google saying to Facebook, "Congratulations, you truly are the king of data"?
Dan Leahul
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Member since: 10 Sep 2008
Last login: 30 Sep 2009
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