So nice they killed it twice: Google+’s business pivot is dead

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  Release YouTube, you beast! [credit: 123pendejos ]

Google+ is dead—again! The consumer version of Google+ may have shut down in April 2019, but Google kept the service rolling as an enterprise-focused social network it rebranded "Google Currents." You need to pay for GSuite to use it, and only members of your organization can see the posts, so it is for private company announcements and discussions.

Google kills product

• So nice they killed it twice: Google+’s business pivot is dead
• Google relents: Legacy G Suite users will be able to migrate to free accounts
• Google to free G Suite users: Pay up or lose your account
• Google kills YouTube Originals, its original video content group
• Take one last look at Google Toolbar, which is now dead

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In the latest Google Workspace blog post, Google says that Currents is "winding down" starting in 2023. This is no surprise, since Google+ was a completely failed consumer product. Why Google thought pushing the dead service onto business would make Currents successful is unclear. (Hey, Google Stadia, does this sound familiar?) Google never really did anything with Currents after rebranding it as a business product. After rotting for years as a dead consumer product, Currents just rotted for a few more years with new business branding. What is surprising is that Google is pitching Google Chat as a replacement.

Google Chat is one of the latest Google messaging apps. Chat was originally conceived as a Slack competitor and later drafted into service as a replacement for the consumer Google Hangouts chat app. Google Chat is now also apparently a replacement for Google+, as Google will "bring remaining content and communities over to the new Spaces experience."

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