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Google announced it will buy Jaiku, a Finnish web and mobile
based micro-blogging service. Founded last year in February by Jyri Engeström
and Petteri Koponen, Jaiku is targeting the teenagers that are already familiar
with mobile SMS, blogging and IM clients.
Considered the main competitor of Twitter, a similar US service
founded in March 2006, Jaiku has managed to differentiate itself by introducing
the lifestream concept, a feed that shares your online activity with your
friends
The terms of agreement between Google and Jaiku weren’t
disclosed but in a Q&A section on Jaiku’s website the founders announced
that the current users can still use the service as usual. Tough new user
registrations have been closed for the time being.
In a blog post on Google official blog Tony Hsieh, Product
Manager, explained that Google acquired Jaiku because the application can be
used to help busy people to stay in touch with their loved one, regardless of
whether they are at a computer or on a mobile phone.
But Hsieh didn’t provide any specific details on how Google
plans to develop Jaiku’s applications.
“Although we don't have definite plans to announce at this
time, we're excited about helping drive the next round of developments in web
and mobile technology,” wrote Hsieh.
Two weeks ago Google bought mobile social-networking company
Zingku a start-up that uses standard text and picture messaging on a mobile
phone and a Web browser to facilitate the communication between its users.
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