Google Buzz for Gmail: Bad for Wave?

When Google Wave debuted last Fall, hopes were high that it would become the future of e-mail and online communication. Everyone was eager to get their invitation and start waving. Whether it was lack of understanding or loss of interest, the excitement surrounding Wave fizzled soon after. Now, Google is reviving the excitement around the real-time updates and communication — Wave’s major selling point — and focusing on bringing these features directly to users’ in-boxes, with a social media spin. Though Google is coming in late in the game, the features this new app boasts may be able to turn the inbox into one of the most useful social media tools around.

On Tuesday, Google’s Vice President of Product Management, Brad Horowitz, announced the launch of the company’s newest app, Google Buzz. Buzz, made available Tuesday, will combine the social features from other Google apps like Picasa, as well as other popular sites and networks such as Flikr and Twitter, into a single stream of information. Users will be able to create private groups and networks of people to share with, or they may choose to broadcast their thoughts to all Buzz users, regardless of friend status.

Buzz will function in real time, a key function that all social networks are now striving for. It’s “an entire new world within Gmail,” said Buzz product manager, Todd Jackson, at Tuesday’s launch. Users will be notified of updates from friends directly in their inbox, and may also receive recommendations of users to follow, based on their activity and friends, similar to the handy feature in Google Reader. By placing everything in one place, users reduce the need to ever click out of their Gmail tab.

For Google users, Buzz may just be the answer to many social sharing frustrations. Additionally many of the app’s features may clue Google fanatics into what the future Google Chrome OS will be like, with nearly every Internet feature based in a single browser window. Activity is streamlined, as photo sharing, video viewing, and commenting can be done in the same place. But for all of its positives, there may be some negatives as well, the most obvious being the fact that Buzz is limited to Gmail users only. While many people may have a Google account for the use of other apps, not everyone has a Gmail account. Google, like Apple, has a passionate user base. The introduction of Buzz could signal that Google doesn’t want to appeal to non-Gmail users, but is instead focusing on their core user base and growing from there.

Second, there is currently no way to integrate users’ updates to Twitter or Facebook from Buzz; users can receive their friends’ updates from these sites, but cannot update their own Twitter or Facebook status from the Buzz app. Many Twitter clients already support Facebook integration, which means Google will need to make some changes to Buzz if they want to be able to fully compete in that area.

While Google continues to show its prowess for innovation, top competitors are none too happy about their newest feature. Shortly after Google’s announcement, Microsoft released a statement criticizing Google for adding yet another social network to the Web, while highlighting Microsoft’s own accomplishments.

“Busy people don’t want another social network, what they want is the convenience of aggregation. We’ve done that. Hotmail customers have benefitted from Microsoft working with Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and 75 other partners since 2008.” – Official Microsoft statement

Though these competitors may be less than pleased, user reaction is highly favorable. From forums and comments on major social media blogs, the general consensus is that Buzz is a breakthrough that will be a welcome addition to the social media sphere.

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