Inside Google HQ

Googleplex is home to the phenomenon that is Google and the site of great innovation still to come. DESTINY MAN takes an exclusive tour.

Incorporated in September 1998, Google has gone on to change the world in ways unfathomable. And its corporate headquarters, Googleplex, in Mountain View, San Francisco is legendary for its unique culture. DESTINY MAN was fortunate enough to be part of the first contingent of SA media to visit Google, Inc and chatted to key people about some of the initiatives Google is pushing, in particular Google+, the social network launched about seven months ago, and Google Translate. Their key philosophy is to make Google more social and create better experiences across Google services with a focus on identity, relationships and interests.

Google+
Matt Wadell, Google+’s Chief of Staff, explains the approach: “Online sharing is broken. It is hard to share with group of ‘friends’ because they are undifferentiated while, in real life, we have friends, family, co-workers, softball team, etc, which aren’t taken into consideration on most social networks. With Google+, we are bringing real life sharing to online with circles.”

According to Google, in the 7/8 months since Google+ launched:
• More than 90 million people have joined
• 60% engage with Google products daily and 80% weekly
• They have added a new feature a day, adding up to more than 200 updates
• More than 1 million Google+ Pages have been created

Google Translate
Google is working to break the language barrier through Google Translate which is offered as a standalone product, first, and to complement other Google products, secondly. Research Scientist Ashish Venugopal says: “Translation is fundamental to content on the web and how it is created. To exploit this, we have harnessed the power of machine computation and built statistical models that learn from people, as they translate words online. It then builds from there.”

At present, 63 languages are supported by Google Translate, with English being the intermediate language. It is also available mobile and supports voice input. Languages are launched, Venugopal says, “when they add value to users which correlates highly with how much of those languages are on the web.”

The HQ
Googleplex is designed and feels like a university campus. There are bicycles available for anyone to cycle between the buildings, each of which as a mini-kitchen/pause area with facilities that include massage chairs, walking desks (treadmill with stand for laptop), pool tables, etc. Each building’s personnel decide what they want in there. Googlers can get haircuts on site, their laundry done and free lunch at the many cafes across the campus, including Charlie’s – the first one. There is a volleyball court, regular performances from musicians and book readings with leading authors. Walking around, you really get the sense that innovation is happening in every corner.