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is providing a look at some of its source code in an effort to woo software developers and to establish tighter bonds with the open-source community as it fends off challenges from rivals pushing into the search-technology space.
In launching a site called Google Code, the company promises to publish portions of its source code and lists of its application programming interface (API) services.
Initially, code from four company libraries is being released through SourceForge.net, including software-debugging technology and tools for working with the C++ and Python languages.
Generic Tools Released
The code in question is not directly related to search, but is seen by Google as a foundation for releasing more software in the future.
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The first set of tools is being released under the BSD 2.0 license to encourage their use in an array of software projects.
“Developers are critical for any company trying to extend its reach, and to establish a loyal group of those developers you need to deliver the tools and applications they need,” Forrester Research analyst Michael Goulde told TopTechNews.com.
And while Google is not exactly giving away the family jewels, this move gives the company a presence in the open-source community that, in the long term, could result in improvements to Google’s API services and future services, he said.
Enlisting Allies
“This is a starting point for Google in an effort to enlist open-source developers as allies in the competition against Microsoft and others moving further into search,” said Goulde.
Bjorn Olstad, CTO of enterprise search technology provider Fast Search and Transfer, offered a similar take, telling TopTechNews.com that the Google code in question means little to the company’s core business.
“These are generic elements with no business value,” Olstad said. “Google is recruiting heavily in academia and in the open-source community and is attempting to make it appear that they are friendly to developers while Microsoft is the bad guy.”
