# Introduction  > In the 90s, the World Wide Web was invented and grew rapidly, but there was a big problem: you had to know where to find your information. There was no Wikipedia at the time, and the search engines that existed mostly delivered irrelevant results. But what if you were a software engineer and could come up with a solution to drastically improve the results? --- # The Birth of Google  > In 1998, two Stanford Ph.D. students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, had a simple idea in the garage behind me that turned out to be brilliant. They scanned the web and calculated the relevance of a page by counting how many times other websites had linked to that page. Then they put the pages with the highest counts on the top of the results. They called their search engine "Google," a play on the word "googol," which means the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. --- # Google's Early Years  > Google's early years were characterized by rapid growth. The company quickly became the go-to search engine for millions of people around the world, thanks to its ability to deliver relevant results quickly and reliably. Google also started to develop new products and services, such as Google Maps, which I will cover later. --- # Google's Legal Status  > Google started as a private limited company and is since its IPO in 2004 the publicly traded company "Google LLC", followed by "Alphabet Inc." . listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Its legal structure is that of a corporation, and it is subject to the laws and regulations of the countries in which it operates. --- # Google's Global Reach  > Google has a truly global reach, with offices and data centers located in dozens of countries around the world. Its products and services are used by billions of people every day, and its search engine is available in more than 150 languages. --- # Google's Advertising  > Google's advertising platform, Google Ads, is a major source of revenue for the company. It allows businesses and organizations to place ads on Google's search results pages and on other websites that participate in the Google Ads program. Google Ads uses a pay-per-click model, where advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad. --- # Google's Acquisitions  > Google has acquired many companies over the years, ranging from small startups to large corporations. Some of its most notable acquisitions include YouTube, Android, and Nest. These acquisitions have helped Google expand its product and service offerings and stay at the forefront of technology. --- # Alphabet  > In 2015, Google restructured its business and created a new holding company called Alphabet. Google became a subsidiary of Alphabet, which allowed the company to separate its core search and advertising business from its other ventures, such as its self-driving car project. --- # YouTube  > YouTube is a video-sharing platform owned by Google. It was created in 2005 by three former PayPal employees, was sold in 2006 to Google and has since become one of the most popular websites on the internet. In the last years it faced problems with content moderation and copyright infringement which resulted in a slump in advertising revenues --- # Google Earth and Street View  > Google Earth, Maps and Google Street View are nowadays one of Google's most widely used services. Google Earth provides users with a satellite view of the entire planet, allowing them to explore different locations and view them from different angles. Google Street View, on the other hand, offers users a ground-level view of various streets and neighborhoods around the world. --- # Street View Controversies in Germany  > Despite its popularity, Google Street View has faced significant controversies in some countries, particularly in Germany. Many Germans were concerned about the potential invasion of their privacy by having their homes and neighborhoods photographed and displayed on the internet. Google worked with the German government to allow people to opt-out of having their homes shown in Street View, but the controversy highlighted the ongoing tensions between privacy and technology in the modern world --- # Google Chrome  > Google Chrome is a web browser that was introduced in 2008. It quickly became a popular alternative to other web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox, thanks to its speed and reliability. Google Chrome is now one of the most widely used web browsers in the world, and it continues to be updated with new features and security improvements. --- # Google Cloud Platform  > Google Cloud Platform is a suite of cloud computing services that allows users to build and run applications on the same infrastructure that Google uses for its own products. It is used by businesses of all sizes and contributes nowadays with a big amount to Google's revenue --- # Google's Corporate Culture  > Google is known for having a unique and distinctive corporate culture that values innovation, creativity, and collaboration. The company's offices are often designed to encourage communication and interaction among employees, and many of its policies and practices are aimed at fostering a positive and productive work environment. --- # Google's Impact on Society  > Google's products and services have had a profound impact on society, from revolutionizing the way we find information to transforming the way we communicate and connect with one another. Google has also launched many initiatives and programs aimed at promoting social good, such as the Google Impact Challenge, which provides funding for non-profit organizations working on innovative projects. --- # Google's Controversies  > Like any large and influential company, Google has faced its fair share of controversies over the years. Some of the most notable include accusations of antitrust violations, privacy concerns, and censorship. Google has taken steps to address these issues, but they continue to be a subject of debate and scrutiny. --- # Google's Future  > As one of the world's most innovative and forward-thinking companies, Google is always looking towards the future. Some of the areas that the company is currently investing in include artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and self-driving cars. These technologies have the potential to transform the world in profound ways, and Google is at the forefront of their development. --- # Conclusion  > In conclusion, Google is a company that has had an enormous impact on the world in a relatively short amount of time. From its humble beginnings as a search engine startup to its current status as one of the world's most valuable and influential companies, Google has always been at the forefront of innovation and technological progress. Google continues to shape the future in meaningful and exciting ways. --- # Thank You! ## Thank You for listening! Slides: [https://slides.silas-meyer.de/google.html](https://slides.silas-meyer.de/google.html) > Thank you for joining me today and learning more about Google. I hope you found this presentation informative and engaging. You can find the slides at the following link. --- ## References Schulz, Thomas (2017): *Was Google wirklich will*. Penguin Verlag Hartmans, Avery and Meisenzahl, Mary (2017): *[All the companies and divisions under Alphabet](https://www.businessinsider.com/alphabet-google-company-list-2017-4)* ## Images - [sanjose.org](https://www.sanjose.org/listings/google-garage) - [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-google-looked-like-the-first-day-it-launched-in-1998-2013-9) - [PublicDomainPictures.net](https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/de/view-image.php?image=161514&picture=richter-gavel) - [fastbill.com](https://www.fastbill.com/blog/google-adwords-rechnung) - [StatistaCharts](https://www.statista.com/chart/11212/googles-10-biggest-acquisitions/) - [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Filiales_d%27Alphabet.png) - [Gründer.de](https://www.gruender.de/verzeichnis/youtube-gruender/) - [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/index.html) - [Der Standard](https://www.derstandard.de/consent/tcf/story/2000118161910/google-street-view-grosses-update-bringt-deutlich-mehr-und-aktuellere) - [google.com](https://www.google.com/intl/de/chrome/go-mobile-iphone/) - [plusserver.com](https://www.plusserver.com/blog/google-cloud) - [Architectural Digest](https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/inside-google-offices) - Screenshot of the German dictionary Duden - [Vox.com](https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/6/19/18691870/google-employees-activists-protest-alphabet-shareholder-meeting) - [veritis.com](https://www.veritis.com/blog/ai-reshaping-future-of-data-center-industry-google-shows-how/) - [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Google_2015_logo.svg)