Google has decided to shut down 800-GOOG-411, their free business directory assistance service. The service will close after November 11.
The company entered the free 411 market, directly challenging 800-FREE-411 and other similar tools. Google’s service tapped into their Google Local directory listings, offering free calling to long distance businesses. Many have used GOOG-411 as a Friends & Family number, in order to get free calls to most business numbers.
The company has cited internal competition of Google’s tools as the main reason for shutting down GOOG-411. Since the launch of the service, Google has rolled out voice searching on Windows Mobile, iOS, and Android platforms. Google also points to the service as drawing away from other tools such as Google’s SMS short code (466453, or GOOGLE) for local search results.
Similar to Google’s shutdown of Google Answers however, the competition does not appear to see this as a reason to shut down their services. Bing continues to offer free directory assistance using 800-BING-411.
The shutdown of GOOG-411 may be more telling about Google’s strategy, than anything else. The company may have struggled monetizing phone search results, most ads that ran on GOOG-411 were for Google’s own services. In addition, it may point to Google identifying that most GOOG-411 users may have opted to use a different Google search tool anyways, or another free 411 tool.
Finally, the shutdown of GOOG-411 may also point to Google conceding the market to rival Bing. Bing 411 already offers several features that may have been costly for Google to implement, including turn by turn directions, traffic reports, movie times, and weather.
First Comment!!!
BOO!!!!! ! used it all the tome…will really miss the auto connect service
The Name is SCREWGLE
Google jumps in the market — puts the competition out of business then tells the world. Update to a smart phone and use our software or else…
I’m free market but I think its time for some anti-trust action against Google.
WE CAN CHAGE THE VERB FROM BEING “WAL-MARTED” to BEING “GOOGLED”
Bend over everybody — Thanks for nothing Google.
Most people use the internet on their phones nowadays. I dont really feel bad for people who cant use a FREE 411 service anymore and refuse to use the mobile web to get the information they need. If you want to whine and complain about a free service being shut down, that’s certainly your right, but I find it kind of ridiculous.
@brett
How is this an anti trust issue? you don’t make sense. You can still use 1800 free 411. Just because google is a better product than all others doesn’t make them bad. Most people have data on their phones and for those who don’t can still use other options.
Virgin mobile has an android phone with 300 minutes and free data and text for only $25 a month.
If you don’t like it then too bad. Most people have cell phone plans that cost more than $25 a month and they don’t even have data. Stop all this complaining and get over it.
Plus like chuck said, if you want to complain about a free service then you really have a problem. Its like complaining about getting government assistance and saying its not enough. You have no right.
Like they say on 2020-Give me a break!
The only real feature that GOOG 411 which Bing lacks is in-call completion. This made it attractive because you could add GOOG 411 to your Friends & Family call list and make free phone calls to any business.
Now that Google Voice offers free outbound calling to any US phone number, you don’t need GOOG 411 to do that however. You just add Google Voice to Friends & Family and then (after calling your GV phone number) use the voicemail menu to place a call.
Really, it’s faster in a lot of ways. You can do a Google search with voice to get the phone number, and then use a speed dial to call with Google Voice (already built-in to Android and BlackBerry GV clients).
The only “evil” I can see here is that Google is pushing people to switch from GOOG 411 to Google Voice for free calling. Not a big evil since, well, it’s free.
I’m sorry … I’ll type S L O W L Y so you can catch up.
1) Google the 8 million pound gorilla jumps in and by so doing draws people TO them and away from competition leaving Free 411 with so little share they can’t spend to catchup or develop. They just try to stay afloat when Google cannonballs the pool. Now they hope to keep going while all U data-kids go apps.
2) Anti-trust is Google in general just like MS (so JJ) you just ‘LOVE’ all the SW they put out. Zero complaints, MS all-the-way right. Gimmie a break it was there for everyone to see what they did to Wordperfect, Lotus, etc. etc. (R U old enough to even KNOW what I’m talking about?) (Go wiki it– but wiki gets so much wrong you have to double check them too.) Google comes along, gets big and and says SELF… MS got away with it we can too. We’ll use our sheer size to jump into diverse markets, push all the competition out and then lock down our system. (read Droid.)
3) OH DID I FORGET CHUCKY??? Yeah I oughta go right out and get a data phone…… OOPS I DON’T LIVE in downtown mega-city and confine my travels to the generic interstate where ALL the cell providers (even T-mobile) work. I AM A REAL PERSON – one of the millions in RURAL America that grow the corn for the sweetners in your twinkies and Coca Cola. I’m the dairy farmer that makes the milk and cheeses for the chi-chi salads- yogurts- etc. Let’s not forget us beef cattlemen that make your burgers possible. AND IF YOU’RE A VEGAN… Someone gotta grow all those beans and veggies for 300 million people. Guess what, WE DON’T DO IT DOWN-TOWN We do it in rural areas where we’re darn lucky if even ONE cell provider works. Then we choose a phone for SIGNAL FIRST. (There goes the iPhone.) And how many others with it.
4) Many of you are oblivious little candy-butts who freak out if your broadband drops below 5Mbits. We live on Hughesnet or cell broadband RARELY ONE Mbit and download caps to boot. No downloadable movies here- Redbox is 20 miles away. So it’s Netflix once a week.
5) Most of you stupid twits don’t have a clue.
Technically the whole net is ‘free.’ subsidized by ads. UNTIL you need something special then its PAY Time. Lots of people slave to develop freeware and nary get a thanks but rather a ton of complaints when stuff goes wrong. Then a big company comes along sees a good idea buries them… they give up. Then in 2 years the free sw becomes PAY sw. I WAS HERE BEFORE THE IBM PC. I’ve sen this play out over and over. Not people playing hardball – but playing dirty. I cannot imagine WHY open ofice and all the unix free developers keep at it except SOME have found a way to make money at. The rest contribute a little so they can keep the free comin to make a profit elsewhere.
God help you all if something serious happens. You don’t know where your food and clothes come from. You LOVE big government handing out candy. You let big corporations lead you around by the nose… as long as they throw a few bones your way and you don’t bother to notice as choice after choice goes away. Your free – you can get your junk in 4 colors. As long as you stay on your leash all your gadgets work and and people give you some competition – because your packed up like the chicken farms your decry. But you don’t see it. Gotta go play Halo. Update facebook and tweet about dinner.
Aw heck, I give up you win… Maybe someday you’ll see if it’s not too late. Do whatever Al, Mikee moore, and Obama tell ya. I doubt it, but maybe you’ll die fat and happy just before the trap snaps shut. and if ya don’t —remember – its’ ALL Bushes fault. — Not Yours, Nope, Not even a bit.
I’m glad the rules stipulate that you have to be at least 13 years old to post a comment here.
[…] Microsoft As previously reported, Google’s 411 service (aka GOOG-411) will be discontinued after […]