Everyone run! The Google axe has fallen

Even the Internet giant Google is not immune to cutbacks. It was announced today that multiple services from Google will no longer be operational in the coming weeks. These programs include Google Video, Notebook, Catalog Search, Jaiku, and Dodgeball.

Google Video being closed is not much of a shocker; Google owns the tremendously more popular YouTube. Catalog Search, a service that made numerous retail shopping catalogs searchable never really saw heavy traffic. Google Notebook had a stronger following and the application gave you the ability to take notes while surfing the web. Through SMS messages, Dodgeball allowed users to share their current locations. Jaiku never really saw a big launch; it always remained as an invite only service. However, the good news for Jaiku is that it will be released as an open source project in Google Code. Google has yet to release a date for the shut down of these services.

Other changes to the Google enterprise include the cutting of a 100 internal positions and the shutdown of several engineering offices, including the operations in Texas, Sweden and Norway.

Read [ReadWriteWeb]