Google

Google LLC is an American multinational technology corporation focused on information technology, online advertising, search engine technology, email, cloud computing, software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics and artificial intelligence [2]. It was founded on September 4, 1998 in Menlo Park, California by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and is headquartered at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California, serving users worldwide [2]. The company states its mission as organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful [3][5].

Following the success of Google Search, the company expanded into a broad product portfolio spanning email (Gmail), mapping and navigation (Maps, Earth, Waze), cloud computing (Google Cloud), web browsing (Chrome), video (YouTube), productivity (Workspace), operating systems (Android and ChromeOS), storage (Drive), translation, photos, video conferencing (Meet), smart home (Nest), smartphones and wearables (Pixel, Pixel Watch, Fitbit), and AI products including Google Assistant and Gemini, plus machine learning APIs (TensorFlow) and AI chips (TPU) [2][4]. Discontinued products include Stadia, Glass, Google+, Reader, Play Music, Nexus, Hangouts and Inbox by Gmail [2]. Other ventures include quantum computing (Willow, Google Quantum AI), self-driving cars (Waymo) and Google DeepMind [2].

Google's own site groups current offerings into consumer, business and developer categories, and highlights AI features such as AI Mode and Circle to Search in Search, the Gemini assistant with Gemini Live, Canvas, image and video generation, Gemini in Workspace and Chrome, and experimental tools including Flow, Gemini Notebook and Google Labs [4]. Research and technology work is carried out through Google DeepMind, Google Research, Google Labs, Google for Developers and Google Cloud [3]. The company also runs outreach efforts including public policy, social impact, Grow with Google, sustainability, accessibility and Google.org [3], and a Google for Startups arm offering programs, products, mentorship and cloud resources to startups worldwide [7].

Founding story

Page and Brin met at Stanford in 1995 and, by some accounts, disagreed about nearly everything at their first meeting before forming a partnership the following year [5]. Working from their dorm rooms they built a link-based search engine named Backrub, later renamed Google after the mathematical expression for 1 followed by 100 zeros, chosen to reflect the intent to search a very large number of websites [2][5]. The initial server was made of Lego, and the first Doodle in 1998 was a stick figure indicating the staff was at the Burning Man Festival; "Don't be evil" captured the company's early ethos [5]. Google Inc. was officially born after Bechtolsheim's August 1998 $100,000 investment [5].

Business model

Google operates across internet services, online advertising, cloud computing, software, consumer hardware and artificial intelligence [2]. Its product set is segmented for consumers, businesses and developers, including advertising and marketing products such as Google Ads, AdMob, AdSense, Ad Manager, Performance Max, Search Ads, Shopping Ads and YouTube Ads, business platforms such as Google Cloud, Workspace and Chrome Enterprise, and developer tools such as Firebase, Flutter, TensorFlow and Google Maps Platform [4]. Subscription-style consumer offerings referenced include Google One and Google AI plans [0][4].

Sources identify online advertising as a core industry for Google, alongside cloud computing, software, consumer hardware and e-commerce [2]. Advertising products include Google Ads, AdSense, AdMob, Ad Manager and YouTube Ads; paid consumer and business offerings referenced include Google One, Google AI plans, Google Workspace, Google Cloud and Google Store hardware [0][4]. Financial results are published through Alphabet Investor Relations [3].

Traction

Wikipedia reports 187,000 employees as of 2022 [2]. Google states its open Gemma models have surpassed one billion downloads [0], and that the company makes hundreds of products used by billions of people globally [5]. Google Search and YouTube are the two most-visited websites worldwide [2].

Latest developments

Google is promoting an offer giving eligible college students worldwide one year of a Google AI plan at no cost, alongside new and enhanced study tools [0]. It reports that its Gemma open models have reached one billion downloads [0]. Its product pages highlight AI capabilities including AI Mode and Circle to Search in Search, Gemini Live, Canvas, image and video generation, Gemini in Workspace and Chrome, and the Flow filmmaking tool, Gemini Notebook and Google Labs experiments [4]. Google for Startups is running AI-focused initiatives including the Gemini Startup Forum and a Startup School on building AI agents with Gemini Enterprise [7].