Is A Google IM Imminent?

Expanding on services associated with a well-received name brand can be a risky move. You run the risk of neglecting what made you popular in the first place. However, when you have the track record of Google (the Google-touch?), expanding business horizons can also solidify a company's position, although, since Google began to expand their operations, every move has been scrutinized and criticized like no other.

WebProWorld Undaunted and seemingly unaffected by negative criticism, Google continues to introduce new services, and programs. 2004 has seen the release of their email service, Gmail; they also bought Picasa, an image software company; and the Google Desktop Search utility was just recently made available. Even though Google has been busy with its various programs, there have been rumors of two major items that may be forthcoming from the company. The first being the Google web browser and the second is an instant messaging service. While speculation concerning the Google browser remains just that, (in fact, the development of the G-browser has been practically InsideGoogle blog: "Do you want an instant messenger from Google? Well, Hello is an instant messenger, complete with buddy lists and bots and smilies and sounds. The difference is that Hello is optimized for sending photos" However, the speculation does not stop at Picasa's photo-sharing ability. An Rustybrick) discusses some interesting finds that originate from Google's new Desktop Search utility. According to her article, security consultant Richard Smith inspected the source code of Google's Desktop Search and found "included in the program files a new protocol: google_im://..." Because the GDS searches other instant message conversations like AIM, this discovery led many to believe that Google is preparing to release an IM client. The Google IM has been discounted in several areas, including Stephanie's article, although that rarely means that development work isn't being done. On latest search news.