Google in 1998 : Google’s First Steps in the World of Search
Googleplex serves as the home base for the well-known American company. The firm, which provides over 50 different services and products, mainly credits its search engine for its success and renown.
Realizing that such a massive endeavor had modest beginnings in a little college room is fantastic.
That’s where it all began. Let’s examine Google in the year 1998.
Founders Of The Search Engine Google
Let’s learn more about Google’s founding fathers, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, before getting into the specifics of the first search engine. Because of the genius of these intriguing individuals, Google has quickly expanded to become the largest online search engine in the world.
Page and Brin were PhD candidates at Stanford University in California. After earning his degree in computer science, Larry Page worked on a fascinating search algorithm research project. This search algorithm was given the intriguing moniker “BackRub” in 1996.
Even though search engines were not invented until much later, Google, despite being a latecomer, quickly rose to prominence as one of the most widely used platforms for finding almost anything on the internet. Prior to settling in Mountain View, California, Google had relocated multiple times in order to optimize its internet search services.
The Google version from 2000 quickly grew in size. Google became one of the most well-known media firms in the world by 2004 when it launched its first IPO.
Page and Brin's Journey
The story of Sergey Brin and Larry Page is an intriguing one. After starting their adventure together at university, they remained in contact even after completing their degrees in computer science. Page, who was always curious about how links behaved on the internet, and Brin, well-known for his mathematical prowess, came up with the algorithm called PageRank.
The universe of search result ranking was investigated by this algorithm, which carried Larry Page’s name. Linking behavior was the main factor used to score the findings. The combination of these technologies prepared the groundwork for a historic launch on September 4, 1998, which took place on Stanford’s private network in August 1996.
They released their study paper under the title “The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine,” which quickly gained enormous popularity in Silicon Valley.
How Sergey Brin and Larry Page Invented The Title Google
Page and Brin, who were renowned for their inventive ideas, changed the name of their firm to Google after becoming inspired by the abundance of linkages between online sites. Thus, what made it googol? Perhaps you’re curious. A mathematical phrase (the number 1 followed by 100 zeros) is called googol.
The take on the mathematical phrase googol, which is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros, was incredibly appropriate for the business since it precisely matched Page and Brin’s concept.
This idea was embodied by their newly founded corporation, later dubbed Google, which would change history by skillfully absorbing information worldwide and making it readily available online.
A. History of Logo
Google’s logos are well-known for their vibrant designs. In 1996, the initial logo was designed. On a hand, the word “BackRub” was scrawled in red. It wasn’t until 1998 that Google changed their name from BackRub to Google that it unveiled its first well-recognized multicolored logo. The letters that made up the word “Google” were blue, red, yellow, green, and an exclamation point.
The logo has undergone several changes over time. The exclamation point was removed first to make it seem different from other brands that utilize it. The Adobe Garamond typeface was initially used for the logo, but Catull and Product Sans soon replaced it. Ruth Kedar suggested designing logo variants that are primarily black with striking accents in the middle. But soon after, Google went back to their typical vibrant style.
They created the “G” logo in 2015, using the same color scheme. It served as a little symbol to represent particular attributes. These days, people like to view Google’s doodles, which are subject to vary according to the day or occasion.
B. Google Chooses To Advance Even Further
As Google grew, investors and the academic community began noticing the business. In September that year, co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim made the historic decision to contribute $100,000 to Google’s incorporation. To cut a long tale short, it was Google Inc.’s founding.
In the early years of Google, Brin and Page had minimal financial backing to establish their firm and become globally recognized. With the help of the Sun Microsystems CEO’s financing, the Alphabet Inc. subsidiary could relocate out of its hostel and into its first office.
C. Eric Schmidt Willingly Hired To "Supervise" Google
Despite the company’s rapid growth, Larry and Sergey concluded it required “adult supervision” to realize its full potential. Thus, to lead Google, Page and Brin recruited Eric Schmidt, a former Novell CEO, in 2001. Due to his vast expertise and skill, Schmidt quickly joined the board of directors and was appointed Chairman in March 2001.
Some of our favourite Google products, including Gmail, Docs, and Drive, were first released in 2004. After leading the company as CEO for 10 years, Schmidt brashly declared that the business “no longer required adult supervision.”
D. Partnership Between Google And Yahoo
Yahoo was the top search engine on the internet before Google became the most well-known search engine worldwide and became synonymous with the online. But by 2000, Google was incredibly well-liked, and Yahoo quickly started using it as its default search engine.
Yahoo attempted to purchase Google in early 2002 for an astounding $3 billion! But Google clarified it was worth at least $5 billion when it publicly declared its rejection.
E. The Entry of Google Into Googleplex
By July 2003, Google was growing at an exponential rate. In addition to hiring engineers, the business established a sales and advertising team and unveiled Yoshka, Google’s first company dog.
Google started seeking a larger office to accommodate its more than 1,000 employees as its personnel and business grew. It quickly made the transition to Googleplex, its new office.
The largest campus of the corporation is now Googleplex. Furthermore, it keeps growing and acquiring new structures and areas.
F. Launch of Gmail Services by Google in 2004
On April 1st, 2004, Gmail was finally made available to the general public. Advanced search, 1 GB of storage, and many other unique features were absent from most competing online services at the time of this email service’s release.
When most other businesses only provided a few megs of storage, Google could enthral its billion-plus viewers by providing an unprecedented 1 GB of storage.
Google Made the Next Big Step by Introducing Google Maps
Google Maps was released in 2005 and has garnered millions of daily searches. A Google statement states, “Maps can be useful and fun.” Still, one of Google’s biggest releases did not arrive until 2009: GPS navigation for smartphones.
Customers quickly realized how valuable this function was for their phones, allowing them to explore new areas easily and without fear.
i. Google Acquires YouTube
Although Google made many unsuccessful attempts to purchase YouTube in 2006, including an offer of $1.65 billion, other industry titans such as Yahoo and Viacom also made similar attempts. Luckily, both sides benefited from Google’s acquisition of YouTube.
ii. Purchasing DoubleClick
One of the most important players in online advertising, Google laid the groundwork for its advertising platform in 2000 when it introduced Google Ads, which was subsequently renamed as Google Ads.
But it wasn’t until April 2007—when it paid $3.1 billion to acquire DoubleClick—that Google established a firm foothold in the advertising industry. As a result, Google was able to show advertisements, significantly broadening its online presence.
iii. Google And Chrome
Google recruited Mozilla Firefox engineers in September 2008 to assist in realizing a particular vision: creating a dependable search engine by utilizing open-source technology to create a web browser that is both fast and stable.
This marked the launch of the Google Chrome web browser, which in only four years shot to the top of the worldwide online browser market for computers and mobile devices.
Launching the Operating System for Google
The following few years were crucial for Google since it released many innovative goods, services, and software that would eventually astound its users.
The Chrome OS, an open-source platform created by Google to house online software, was one of the major releases in 2011.
i. 2013 The Start And Finish Of A Certain Google Items
Audiences have mixed emotions about 2013 since it brought us both the unveiling of Google Chromecast and the demise of the much-loved Google Reader.
However, since Chromecast’s debut, Google has hardly updated it, leaving many viewers perplexed why. Still, it’s among the easiest and most economical ways to use the stream.
ii. Entering The Domain Of AI
By 2014, London-based AI company DeepMind had been purchased by Google LLC. This was a wise decision since it gradually helped Google become a leader in artificial intelligence technology.
Google's History from 2015 to the Present
Alphabet Inc., the new organizational name for Google, was established in 2015. Hiring Sundar Pichai, the company’s CEO was a wise and significant decision. Not long later, Google revealed their new brand logo.
Google Assistant — Amazon Alexa — was also introduced in the same year. And even though Google released its assistant a little bit later than planned, it has been and hopefully will continue to be a huge success.
Additionally, it has introduced some Smart Home devices, Android phones, laptops, mobile phones, etc.
Final Thought - Google in 1998
Every large, successful business has a convoluted past. Simply said, little spaces like dorm rooms are the starting point for enormous projects like Googleplex. Despite several modifications to its name and appearance, Google remains one of the most popular search engines.
To enhance user experience, Google also keeps adding new and enhanced technologies to its search engine. Google is now a far more prominent and more well-known company on the market. It has made enormous strides since it began as a Stanford research project twenty years ago.
The desire for an improved method of organizing and accessing information on the internet drove Page and Brin to create the website.
In 1998, there was an increasing number of websites and a shortage of practical search tools.
It was distinguished by Google’s PageRank algorithm, which emphasized content quality and relevancy.
Indeed, there were other search engines, but Google immediately distinguished itself with its style.
Google had to get beyond technological obstacles and deal with doubts about the efficacy of its algorithm.
Google’s user interface has changed, evolving from a basic layout to the modern, smooth experience we are familiar with.
Google began to broaden its offerings in 1998, which laid the groundwork for its wide range of products.
Google has significantly influenced internet culture, influencing how users interact and obtain information on the internet.
