Froogle
Encyclopedia
Google Product Search, formerly Google Products and Froogle, is a price comparison service
launched by Google
Inc. It is currently in beta test stage. It was invented by Craig Nevill-Manning
. Its interface provides an HTML form field into which a user can type product queries to return lists of vendors selling a particular product, as well as pricing information. Google Product Search is only available for selected countries at this point.
Google Product Search is different from most other price comparison services in that it neither charges any fees for listings, nor accepts payment for products to show up first. Also, it makes no commission
on sales. Any company can submit individual product information via Google Base
or can bulk submit items for inclusion. Google sells advertising through AdWords
to be displayed in Product Search results adjacent to the unpaid results.
Google formally announced Froogle in December 2002 after the site had been active in beta for some years. It is also offered in Wireless Markup Language
(WML) form and can be accessed from mobile phones or other wireless devices that have support for WML.
, Google's vice president of search product and user experience explained, "While it was a quite intuitive name, it had issues around copyright and trademark, as well as internationalization… The pun
(to "frugal") isn't obvious."
Price comparison service
On the internet, a price comparison service allows individuals to see different lists of prices for specific products. Most price comparison services do not sell products themselves, but source prices from retailers from whom users can buy...
launched by Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
Inc. It is currently in beta test stage. It was invented by Craig Nevill-Manning
Craig Nevill-Manning
Craig Nevill-Manning is a New Zealand computer scientist who founded Google's first remote engineering center, located in midtown Manhattan, where he is an Engineering Director...
. Its interface provides an HTML form field into which a user can type product queries to return lists of vendors selling a particular product, as well as pricing information. Google Product Search is only available for selected countries at this point.
Google Product Search is different from most other price comparison services in that it neither charges any fees for listings, nor accepts payment for products to show up first. Also, it makes no commission
Commission (remuneration)
The payment of commission as remuneration for services rendered or products sold is a common way to reward sales people. Payments often will be calculated on the basis of a percentage of the goods sold...
on sales. Any company can submit individual product information via Google Base
Google Base
Google Base was an online database provided by Google into which any user can add almost any type of content, such as text, images, and structured information in formats such as XML, PDF, Excel, RTF, or WordPerfect. As of September 2010, the product has since been promoted to Google Merchant Center...
or can bulk submit items for inclusion. Google sells advertising through AdWords
AdWords
Google AdWords is Google's main advertising product and main source of revenue. Google's total advertising revenues were USD$28 billion in 2010. AdWords offers pay-per-click advertising, cost-per-thousand advertising, and site-targeted advertising for text, banner, and rich-media ads. The AdWords...
to be displayed in Product Search results adjacent to the unpaid results.
Google formally announced Froogle in December 2002 after the site had been active in beta for some years. It is also offered in Wireless Markup Language
Wireless Markup Language
Wireless Markup Language , based on XML, is a markup language intended for devices that implement the Wireless Application Protocol specification, such as mobile phones. It provides navigational support, data input, hyperlinks, text and image presentation, and forms, much like HTML...
(WML) form and can be accessed from mobile phones or other wireless devices that have support for WML.
Name
Google Product Search was originally known as Froogle (wordplay: frugal but constructed like Google's spelling). On April 18, 2007 the product was renamed to Google Product Search. Marissa MayerMarissa Mayer
Marissa Ann Mayer is Vice President of Location and Local Services at the search engine company Google. She has become one of the public faces of Google, providing a number of press interviews and appearing at events frequently to speak on behalf of the company.-Education and career :After...
, Google's vice president of search product and user experience explained, "While it was a quite intuitive name, it had issues around copyright and trademark, as well as internationalization… The pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
(to "frugal") isn't obvious."