Subscribe
Google announced that its voice-powered directory services, 1-800-GOOG-411, will shut down on November 12, 2010.
Google said that it is shutting the services because it is a success and wants to further innovate it. “Our success encouraged us to aim for more innovation. Thus, we’re putting all of our resources into speech-enabling the next generation of Google products and services across a multitude of languages.”
Baloney! Tell that to some one on another planet.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is famous for saying that, “the day they announce them is their best day and then after that”, they basically go nowhere and end up being shut down.
Google is becoming more famous for shutting down products than for keeping them in production. Take a look at Google Buzz within a week it fizzled out and it is a matter of time before it too is shut down. Then there is Dodgeball, Mashup Editor, Google Video Uploading, Google Catalog, Google Notebook, Google Wave and more.
Channels: evil, shut down
Share company news, product news, sector news, industry news and more... 
Hey however amidst all this is there is great news as well.
There is a voice search service launched in the US by Just Dial, one of the leading local search service providers in the world. I used it couple of times and I am impressed.
Call 1-800-500-0000, a live operator answers the call on a single ring and instantly gives you accurate information instantly.
Comment by Roland — October 9, 2010 @ 8:03 AM
I don't see Buzz fizzling out. Quite the contrary there's quite lively activity on it all the time.
Comment by Lee — October 9, 2010 @ 12:02 PM
Have you guys tried the new toll free service by Justdial? Unlike 1800GOOG411 they not only offer human assisted service but also connect your calls to the local vendors. This is simply amazing as his service offers to clear your queries in the matter of 60 seconds.
Comment by Jeff Baker — October 12, 2010 @ 4:27 AM
while I also think their reasoning is rather funny, in the end I applaud google for being willing to try so many things and fail again and again. They have the money, they have the people. Better try to innovate and fail than just sit on the money.
Comment by Thailand Reisen — October 12, 2010 @ 5:44 PM
At least they keep trying new things! How many other companies do this, even if they have the resources?
Comment by Ketan — October 13, 2010 @ 4:06 AM
And yet another great service is going to shut down, because of lousy marketing department in Google! The big problem with Google is that they don't know how to market their great technologies and make money out of them. In this case their objection is that since they developed native apps for smartphones they don't see any advantage in Goog-411 and therefore they won’t continue the service. I guess they should look into numbers, even in US the majority of people still use regular phones rather than Smart phones. So this is not a good excuse to abandon this great service.
Whit this attitude, Google is going to lose its customers, especially now that they step into Enterprise with their Google Apps. With this attitude, there is no guaranty for businesses to switch to Google and layout their needs on Google Services, because Google might withdraw those services with or without any reasons. i.e. Just in May, 2010 @Google IO they announced that they are opening Google Waves for Apps' users and couple months later they retired Wave! It's hard to trust on experimental technologies, and that is why Google hasn't been able to make money on most of its products except the search.
Google! Please change this attitude!
Comment by Mahdi — October 14, 2010 @ 11:28 PM
1-800-Bing-411 – (1-800-246-4411) The audio service that gives you directions, traffic conditions, and weather reports — on any phone. I used to use Goog 411 but Bing's voice recognition is better – fewer misses, faster connections.
Comment by Richard — October 28, 2010 @ 10:03 PM
Goog 411 was never intended to provide a permanent service. It was a data mining project. They collected voice samples and once they had enough, they shut the project down.
Comment by wonderboy — November 20, 2010 @ 6:42 PM
I have been using a toll-free service on 1800-500-0000 by Justdial. They answer your calls in just one ring, and your queries in 60 seconds. I am completely amazed by this human-assisted service.
Comment by Jeff Baker — May 3, 2011 @ 3:48 AM