Google Wave is now available to anyone who wants to try it out.
Collaboration and comms tool set free
The announcement should dispel speculation that Google Wave, a collaboration and communication tool which generated a lot of hype when it was unveiled last year, would never be released widely. Some analysts suggested the service would be integrated into other Google online products, rather than be launched in its own right.
Described as a Swiss Army knife of services, Google Wave combines threaded email conversations and instant messaging with rich content such as Google maps, interactive polling, videos and more. (Find out more in our Google Wave review.)
But initial excitement over the product's launch a year ago began to fade when Google strictly limited the closed beta test, and those who were on it struggled to explain the benefit of the tool. Meanwhile, many testers began to wonder whether Wave would remain a standalone product, arguing that it could potentially cannibalise usage for existing Google products, such as Gmail and Google Docs.
That scenario seems far away now Google has released Wave to all, although the search engine giant still says the product isn't final. Like many of the company's products, Google Wave still has a Labs label on it.
In addition to individuals, businesses that use the Google Apps hosted collaboration and communication suite can now turn Wave on for users in their domains, Google said.
See also:
Comments
Carl said: You said it Ron
John Smith said: I didnt even bother reading the article just the comments It seems Google is sucking like Majoruck now ltSARCASTICgtWhatever will we do nowltSARCASTICgt
si said: i cant see people migrating over from the currently popular instant chat programs to use this
Nick Brown said: Ron Said - We just dont need another way to clog up the Internet with pointless trivial crapHear Hear Ill second that
Ron Graves said: I read this in your review-To create a wave you click the New Wave button at the top of the middle pane You invite others to participate in the wave either by typing their names at the top of the righthand pane or by dragging names there from your Contacts list Then just begin typingIm already losing the will to live We just dont need another way to clog up the Internet with pointless trivial crap