Google to shut down Business Video and Team Apps services

Google has announced it is to shut down a number of its web applications and services.

The company said that it would be phasing out its Google Apps for Teams and Video for Business services as well as a number of its company blogs and the Google Listen podcast platform.

In shutting down the service, Google said that customer demand for the discontinued services had slowed in recent months. Options such as the Google Apps for Teams service were not receiving enough usage.

"Over time, we realised that Google Apps for Teams was not as useful for people as we originally anticipated," Google director of engingeering Max Ibel said in announcing the shutdowns.

"Beginning 4 September, we'll start converting existing Google Apps for Teams accounts into personal Google Accounts, and shutting down Google Apps for Teams."

Likewise, the company said that content hosted on the Video for Business platform would be transitioned to the Google Drive service, while podcast subscriptions stored on the Google Listen service would be migrated to the Google Reader and Play platforms.

The move is one of several mass shutdown, or "cleaning" operations which Google has undertaken recently. Earlier this year the company shut down a number of products and services including Google Mini and the iGoogle platform.

"Technology has the power to change people’s lives. But to make a difference, we need to carefully consider what to focus on, and make hard decisions about what we won’t pursue," Ibel said.

"This enables us to devote more time and resources giving you products you love, and making them better for you."