Google Inc. is a diversified company offering many different Internet services. Begun as a student project in 1998, and first known for their search engine, Google has been very successful also with Internet advertising, the YouTube video sharing site, the Blogger blogging site, the GMail email platform, the Android operating system for smartphones and tablets, among many other products.
A slight change in corporate direction in 2011 caused them to close many projects, such as SPP, so that they could concentrate on their core services. This strategy was described as putting "more wood behind fewer arrows."