Google today launched the next generation Google Groups on the ‘Groups’ link of the Google home page at www.google.com. This enhanced product enables users to create, manage, search and browse web-based groups, as well as subscribe to and track favorite groups. Building on the foundation of the original service that currently includes more than 1 billion searchable posts from the Usenet archive, Google Groups now offers users the ability to join and follow discussions among different groups, keep in touch with family and friends, and share information more easily.

Using Google Groups, people can search and participate in a variety of discussions. For example, someone looking to buy a new digital camera this holiday season can search for (digital camera recommendations) and find relevant posts from others about the best cameras to buy. A user can star (bookmark) this topic to watch and subscribe to receive posts from a group such as rec.photo.digital to regularly read more opinions on digital cameras. Similarly, users looking for advice on treating carpal tunnel or disputing a cell phone bill can find discussions from other people who have experience in these areas. In addition, family, friends, and official organizations like schools or community centers can keep their members informed via email lists and announcement-only newsletters through Google Groups.

“Google Groups enables users to easily gather groups of friends, acquaintances, and those sharing interests together, and communicate with them directly via email, newsletters and message boards,” said Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president, Product Management, Google Inc. “These online communities connect people with information they care about, and that furthers our commitment to enhancing the online experience for Google users.”

New features of Google Groups include:

• Create groups: Create, join and search email-based mailing lists, and designate your group as public (anyone can read the group’s messages on the Web) or restricted (only members can read, respond or start new conversations).
• Dynamic conversations: Postings to all Google Groups mailing lists and Usenet lists appear within seconds and are indexed within minutes.
• Enhanced user interface: Track and mark topics using the “My starred topics” feature, and view postings by message summary, title, or conversation view.
• Email notification: Receive individual messages or read daily email summaries to participate in discussions via your inbox.
• Easy searching: Users can easily search for information within a group or across many groups.
• Relevant text ads: Google Groups displays only targeted ads that are relevant to user searches or the content on the page.

Google continues to experiment with new technologies that make it faster and easier for people to find and use relevant information. Currently in beta and available in English language only, Google Groups can be found by clicking on the ‘Groups’ link on the Google home page or visiting http://groups-beta.google.com.