Even people who have never opened a Web browser in their life know about Google -- but the undisputed king of search is about much more than just keywords, text ads, and ten-per-page results.
Here's a look at some of the company's other services for Web users.
Alerts: Simply enter any search term you want to monitor, choose one of five categories (News, Blogs, Groups, Web, or Comprehensive), and set your inbox to receive alerts once a day, once a week, or "as-it-happens". I chose the last option for two different terms and received my first alerts about an hour later. You can easily save or delete specific alerts, as well as change their frequency or turn them off altogether.
Catalogs: View images of catalog pages scanned as part of the Google Base service, which lets people add their own information to Google's databases. Most of the catalogs are years old, and few big-name directories are present (five-year-old Hickory Farms and Crate and Barrel catalogs are typical). Many are from small, regional companies, heavy on boating and fishing items, specialty foods, and other niches. You can't order products online, either; instead you call the toll-free number displayed prominently to the left of the catalog pages. If only the information on the grainy, scanned pages were as easy to read. Fans of catalog shopping will likely be disappointed with the service's offerings.
Custom Search Engine: Create your own search engine in your area of expertise, or use the creations of others. If you roll your own engine, you can place it on your own site (even customize its appearance to match that of your site), or add it to Google's list of custom sites and invite others to suggest sites to include in your engine. I created a search engine about Global Positioning System (GPS) devices in just about 15 minutes.
Directory: This service lists sites of interest in various categories, A la mid-1990s Yahoo, Northern Light, and Magellan. Directories seem particularly anachronistic on Google, since keyword searching has replaced such hierarchical lists of topics. However, Internet directories help people unfamiliar with a subject learn more about it without having to know which specific words to search for. In other words, if you're not sure what you're looking for, Web directories such as this one may help you find it.
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
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Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
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The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
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