What is Google?
Google is a technology company that specializes in internet-related products and services. It is the world’s most popular search engine and generates the majority of its revenue from online advertising. Its innovative products and acquisitions have helped Google become a leading tech company and a dominant force in the global digital industry.
The company was founded in 1996 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page. The founders chose the name “Google” to reflect their goal of organizing a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web. They derived the name from the number googol, which is 10 to the 100th power. The company’s logo reflects this unconventional approach, with a stick figure surrounded by “googol” of doodles.
The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California. Google has over 150,000 employees and has a market value of nearly $1 trillion. The company has become a leader in innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible with technology.
In addition to its search engine, Google offers other products and services such as Android mobile operating systems, Chrome browser, Google Play music, Google Drive cloud storage, Google Maps navigation, and YouTube video editor. It also owns and operates numerous data centers around the globe and provides a range of cloud-based computing services. Its flagship product, Google Chrome, has gained immense popularity due to its lightweight design and integrated privacy features.
Other notable Google products and services include AdWords, a pay-per-click advertising service that displays ads in response to user queries; YouTube Ads, an advertising service that enables businesses to display videos on the Google Display Network; and Google Shopping, which allows users to find products based on price, location, or type. Google also provides a free service called Google News that presents great news organized from thousands of publishers and magazines; and Google Slides, a presentation program that has all the features of Microsoft PowerPoint.
Some Google products and services have been discontinued, including Google SketchUp, a 3D modeling program that was transferred to Trimble; Google Talk, a instant messaging program that used XMPP; and Google Toolbar, an add-on for early versions of Windows Internet Explorer and Firefox. Other projects that have been canceled or never launched include Project Ara, an experimental smartphone with modular components; and Stadia, an online gaming streaming service.
On October 2, 2015, Google reorganized its business interests into a new holding company called Alphabet Inc. Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page remain as CEO and President of Alphabet, respectively. Google shares were transferred to the new parent company on a share-for-share basis. The new Alphabet shares trade under the ticker symbols GOOG and GOOGL.
