Google closes down Labs to focus on existing products

Google is closing down its iconic Google Labs site- the place for many of the internet giant’s experimental products, and the birthplace of popular services such as Gmail and Google Calendar.


The move forms part of Google’s increasing focus on developing products that have obvious benefits to the company’s bottom line.
Google announced the news on its official blog, stating, “We’re prioritizing our product efforts. As part of that process, we’ve decided to wind down Google Labs. While we’ve learned a huge amount by launching very early prototypes in Labs, we believe that greater focus is crucial if we’re to make the most of the extraordinary opportunities ahead.”
The post goes on: “In many cases, this will mean ending Labs experiments — in others we’ll incorporate Labs products and technologies into different product areas. And many of the Labs products that are Android apps today will continue to be available on Android Market.”
Cutting R&D costs
The announcement signals Google is becoing more frugal with its research and development investments. Last year, the company spent $3.7 billion on R&D, compared to $29.3 billion in operating revenue. That represents a 12.6 percent investment in R&D.
By camparison, Microsoft spent $8.7 billion on R&D against $62.5 billion in revenue, a 13.9 percent investment.
Read the official Google blog here.