Only half a decade back, Google had been the symbol of change and state-of-the-art innovation. When it had launched Gmail, in 2004, the common masses had taken to it like fish do to water, and has since become one of the largest web mail providers since the inception of Internet. However, with Google Buzz – that cutting-edge innovation as well as the will to think ahead of the present state of technology seems to be absent.

The primary reason for this observation is Google’s toeing the line of larger social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter etc in bringing up Google Buzz. It had all started with Orkut – a low-end adversary of Facebook, which ultimately failed to make a mark in the American or European markets unlike its rival. This seems to be the most important reason, rather than the urge to provide a completely out-of-the-box experience to the users, behind the launch of the new social networking tool.

Secondly, even though Google offers Buzz as a stand-alone application, it enforces the possession of a Gmail account in order to start up with Buzz. This speaks volumes, albeit against, Google’s intention of improvising on technological aspects of social networking. Rather Buzz looks more like a branding exercise.

The final (and the most crucial) nail in the coffin is the non-existence of a stable collaboration apparatus with other contemporary social networking tools, including Facebook. Skeptics may counter this argument by providing the example of Buzz’s involvement with Twitter. However, this again surfaces as hollow, as even though Google Buzz can import tweets and publish the same to your Buzz friend lists, you cannot possibly tweet through Buzz – causing a major handicap in this so called advantage of Buzz.

So, within 2010, Google Buzz will inevitably cause a flutter among the netizens. But it will be more because of Google’s brand value than a unique, technologically superior experience that had been the trademark of Google products only years ago.