6 events that defined Google CEO's first year in charge

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 5 June 2012 17:18 IST
Highlights
  • Here are a few of the major milestones that mark Larry Page's first 12 months as CEO of Google.
Larry Page took over as CEO of Google Inc in April 2011. Since then, the computer engineer - who with Sergey Brin co-founded what became the world's largest Internet firm - has made a string of moves to try and sustain the company's pace of growth while kindling innovation.

Google will release first-quarter results on Thursday, a year after Page took up the baton from Eric Schmidt and one quarter after his company missed both revenue and earnings targets - a rare misstep for a company that could once be counted on for consistent outperformance.

The following are a few of the major milestones that mark Page's first 12 months as CEO:

April 2011 - Page takes over as CEO formally from Schmidt, who becomes executive chairman. The same month, he gets on a post-earnings announcement call with Wall Street analysts but signs off after a few minutes, triggering complaints about his seeming indifference to investors.

June 2011 - The Federal Trade Commission launches a formal investigation into whether Google - which dominates online searches - tweaks results to give its own properties preference, while pushing rivals lower down in the rankings, something the company denies.

Similar reviews occur across multiple countries and trigger several lawsuits.

June 2011 - Google takes the wraps off Google+, launching a field trial for a social network and billing its enhanced privacy features and novel "circles" method of separating close friends from distant acquaintances as a competitive edge over rivals such as Facebook.

The service has acquired more than 100 million active users. Analysts say Google wants to make social networking a top priority as it fights with Facebook and other social media companies for Internet users' time and activity.

August 2011 - Months after Page takes the helm, Google announces the acquisition of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion - its biggest acquisition to date.

Google secures an extensive library of patents from one of the early pioneers of the cellphone. Wall Street is still speculating on how Google will further wield its first hardware-manufacturing asset even as its Android software continues to battle Apple Inc in the mobile market.

January 19, 2012 - Google's results fall short of Wall Street's expectations, due in part to a deeper-than-anticipated decline in advertising rates. A robust holiday shopping season failed to buoy revenue or the bottom line.

April 4, 2012 - Google attempts to generate an Apple-like buzz by showcasing prototypes of special "augmented reality" glasses that let the wearer view directions and have video chats, among other things. The company did not provide a time frame for when the high-tech glasses might be commercially available.

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. iPhone 17 Pro Max At Rs. 1,02,900 in Apple 50th Anniversary Sale
  2. OnePlus Nord 6 First Impressions
  3. Android 17 May Add Notification Rules for Custom Alerts
  4. Artemis 2 Leaves Earth Orbit, Starts Journey Towards the Moon
  5. Redmi 15A 5G Now Up for Grabs in India: See Price
  6. Samsung Galaxy A27 5G Could Launch With This 50-Megapixel Camera
  7. Vivo T5 Pro 5G Confirmed to Launch in India Soon With These Features
  8. OTT Releases of the Week (Mar 30th - Apr 5th): From Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par
  9. Honor X80i With MediaTek Dimensity 6500 Elite Chip Launched: See Price
  10. Oppo Find X9 Ultra Leaked Image Reveals Changed Design
  1. Vivo T5 Pro 5G India Launch Teased Along With Availability Details, Key Specifications
  2. Oppo Find X9 Ultra Leaked Image Reveals Design; Tipped to Feature 7,050mAh Battery
  3. Redmi 15A 5G Goes on Sale in India for the First Time: Price, Specifications
  4. Bitcoin Trades Near $66,500 as Market Holds Steady Amid Mixed Signals
  5. Samsung Galaxy A27 5G Will Reportedly Launch With a Similar Camera Configuration to Its Predecessor
  6. Artemis 2: Astronauts Aboard Orion Spacecraft Begin Journey Towards the Moon on Day 2
  7. Android 17 Beta 3 Update to Bring Notification Rules With Granular Control for Apps, Contacts: Report
  8. Apple Rolls Out AirTag 2 Firmware Update With Enhanced Tracking Alerts
  9. Honor Play 80 Listed Online With MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, 5,300mAh Battery
  10. Motorola Signature, Razr 60 Ultra and More Models Now Eligible to Receive Android 17 Beta Updates
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.