Google+ opens service to everyone
Anyone wanting to give Google+ a whirl to find out what all the fuss has been about can do so from today following two and a half months of closed testing.
Within two weeks of launch the service had attracted 10m users and by the end of the first month the network is believed to have reached 25m.
The service has introduced a number of innovative features to the social networking sphere, including multi person “hangouts” video chats and the ability to share their computer screens with selected friends.
Members can also engage in so called “social search” which offers commercial opportunities to brands seeking ways of boosting their search appeal.
Social networking specialist Matt Rhodes from Fresh Networks, told the BBC: “If you are logged into Google and search for supermarkets, if some of my friends have plus 1'd Tesco or commented about it, that might push Tesco above Sainsbury's in my search results."
Google+’s social media foray has already spurred sector leader Facebook into making a number of service updates.