Google has opened its goo.gl link-shortening system to the general public.
There are already several big name systems out there, notable bit.ly, but Google launched goo.gl last December for use with its own systems, such as Google News and Picasa Web Albums. Now Goog.gl has its own website for wider use.
The Google shortener keeps track of previously shortened URLs via your Google account and features analytics such as traffic and top referrers. It doesn't offer customisable links, a feature on offer at bit.ly, or an API, although one is in the works.
Clearly aware that rival services offer a wider feature set, Google software engineer Muthu Muthusrinivasan said: "There are many shorteners out there with great features, so some people may wonder whether the world really needs yet another."
"We don’t intend to overload goo.gl with features, but we do want it to be the stablest, most secure, and fastest URL shortener on the web," he wrote in a post on the Google blog. "With goo.gl, every time you shorten a URL, you know it will work, it will work fast, and it will keep working."
Goo.gl also promises protection against spam and malware by using the same filtering system as Gmail.
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