Google’s 25th anniversary on September 27, 2023, marks a significant event in the technology industry. The story of this American multinational technology corporation began modestly, yet its entire trajectory has been consistently extraordinary.
During the 1990s, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, both highly intelligent individuals, met while they were pursuing their doctoral studies in computer science at Stanford University. They were unaware that their partnership would have a transformative impact on the global digital realm. Initially named “BackRub,” their research project evolved into the widely recognized Google search engine that exists today.
Larry Page delved into the complex mathematics behind the link structure of the World Wide Web. Through his groundbreaking search algorithm, he set the groundwork for Google to become the dominant search engine it is today. In 1998, their project transformed into Google, a name derived from the mathematical concept of ‘Googol,’ which represents an incredibly large number.
In August of 1998, Google Inc. was established with a $100,000 payment from Andy Bechtolsheim, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems. Starting from their dorm room at Stanford University, Page and Brin relocated to a rented garage in Menlo Park, California, which became their workspace for several years. In this garage office, they had computers and a ping pong table, tirelessly working towards their goal of organizing the internet.
Beyond Search
Nowadays, Google’s influence reaches well beyond just its search engine. Through its various products such as YouTube, Android, Gmail, and Google Maps, Google has become a vital component of the day-to-day routine for billions of people worldwide.
Google’s impact in the technology industry expanded when it was designated as the default search engine for Yahoo in the year 2000. This event marked the launch of AdWords in October of the same year, ultimately establishing Google’s reign over online advertising.
In 2004, Google made a significant advancement by introducing Gmail with an impressive storage capacity of 1GB. This not only made Gmail an essential aspect of our daily lives but also helped it surpass rivals like YahooMail and Microsoft’s Hotmail. Following this achievement, Google became a publicly traded company in August of the same year.
The creation of Google’s Android operating system and YouTube platform.
Google continued to innovate beyond their successful search engine and email services. They expanded into the mobile industry by acquiring Android in 2005 and launching Google Talk. In 2006, Google marked its entrance into the online video realm with the acquisition of YouTube.
In 2007, Google continued its series of acquisitions by purchasing DoubleClick, which further enhanced its position in the online advertising industry. Additionally, Google introduced universal search the same year, which enabled users to conveniently access various forms of content through a single search.
Google launched its inaugural Android phone, known as the T-Mobile G1, in 2008, alongside the introduction of the Chrome web browser. In subsequent years, they released Google Glass, acquired the mapping startup Waze, and established Alphabet as their parent company, with Sundar Pichai assuming the role of Google’s CEO.
Google’s Future
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, recently expressed his vision for the company’s future in a blog post. Google is now entering its next 25 years and facing competition from other strong companies across various product categories. One major focus for Google is artificial intelligence (AI), where it already holds a prominent position. However, the coming decades will require Google to further innovate and make significant contributions in order to maintain its leading position.
