10 more Google services follow Google Labs down the pan

by Steven Mostyn - Sep 6 2011, 11:05

Less a spring clean and more a pre-autumnal cull, Internet giant Google Inc. has this week announced its decision to pull the plug on no less than ten of its existing online services.

“Technology improves, people’s needs change, some bets pay off and others don’t,” explained Google via an official blog post.

Perhaps the most high-profile casualty of Google’s latest round of streamlining is that of social Q&A platform Aardvark, which was purchased for $50 million USD less than two years ago.

It’s worth noting that Aardvark was integrated as part of Google Labs, which itself was also recently closed by the California-based titan. Users looking to access their Aardvark data have until September 30 to do so.

Other downed services include Fast Flip, Image Labeler, Subscribed Link, Sidewiki, Google Desktop, and Google Pack.

Meanwhile, Google Web Security will be pulled from circulation but existing customers will retain support, Google Notebook data will be folded into Google Docs, and Google Maps will lose Flash API support.

According to Google, the shuttering of some of the aforementioned resources will be implemented over “the next few months,” while others will be merged into remaining platforms such as the Google+, Gmail and Google Docs.

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