Google’s 15th Birthday

Google officially celebrates its birthday event with a Google Doodle on September 27. It is thought this date was changed in an attempt to gain more media coverage a number of years ago, at the time when Yahoo was becoming more competitive with Google.

The site is now the world’s number one search engine and the name Google has become universal within the search world, it is now used as a verb in everyday life. Despite its down to earth entrance into the internet world in a rented garage, the company now has more than 70 offices in over 40 global locations, including London, with their headquarters known as the Google plex in California. Google employees on average contribute $1million each to global turnover.

Its size and reputation grew rapidly in the first few years, with three billion web documents on Google’s index by December 2001. Fresh innovations launched by Google that have become part of everyday life include Google Maps, Google Street view and Google Earth are each to their own, showing how far the company now ranges across the Globe.

Its Android operating system is becoming one of the most popular mobile software operating systems in the world and has teamed up with manufacturers such as Asus and LG to launch a handful of the best-selling on-the-go devices such as the Nexus 4 smartphone and Nexus 7 tablet. Google has also bought Motorola in 2011 and a new Moto X handset that is expected to be released towards the end of this year.

Looking to the future, Google Glass is one of the search engine giants latest products, aiming to offer voice-activated hands-free connectivity through a wearable headset device. Last but not least, Google has designed a range of self-driving cars that apply sensors and mapping technology to inner city travel that removes human error of drivers.