MUMBAI: The internet giant Google has announced closure of few of its products including -iGoogle, Google Mini, Google Talk Chatback, Google video, and Symbian Search App.
The search engine company had started a "spring clean" last year, and since then it has closed or combined more than 30 products.
The personalised Google page, iGoogle, will cease from 1 November 2013. "We originally launched iGoogle in 2005 before anyone could fully imagine the ways that today‘s web and mobile apps would put personalised, real-time information at your fingertips," Google‘s official blog read.
The company feels that with modern apps running on platforms like Chrome and Android, the need for iGoogle has eroded over time, so it is winding it down. The users will have 16 months to adjust or export their data.
Google Mini, which was also introduced in 2005, had a good run, but beginning 31 July the product will be discontinued because its functionality can be better provided by products like Google Search Appliance, Google Site Search and Google Commerce Search. "We will of course continue to provide technical support to Mini customers for the duration of their contracts, and will reach out to them shortly with more details," the company said.
Google Talk Chatback allowed websites to embed a Google Talk widget so that they could engage with their visitors. Google feels that it is now outdated and hence it is turning off Chatback and encouraging websites to use the Meebo bar.
Google Video is also shutting down on 20 August and users have time till then to migrate, delete or download their content. It had stopped taking uploads in May 2009. Google will be moving the remaining hosted content to YouTube as private videos that users can access in the YouTube video manager.
The company will also be retiring Symbian Search App to focus efforts on mobile web search experience. "Switching from the app to the web experience will enable users to make the most of the web-wide improvements we make for search all the time," Google said.
