Sergey Brin

San Francisco, Aug. 24 (Reuters): Google Inc has launched its instant message and web-based phone calling system, joining a crowded field of established rivals in a nearly decade-old computer communications craze.

The world leader in Internet search, co-founded by Sergey Brin, confirmed sketchy reports yesterday that it plans to add instant messaging together with web-based phone calling to the growing menu of technology options it offers beyond simply trawling the web.

Google Talk is seeking to elbow its way in among four instant messaging web communities that number more than 10 million users a piece, ranging from market leader AOL, with AIM and ICQ brands, to Yahoo, Microsoft and two-year-old European web chat phenomenon, Skype.

“This is a missing piece in Google’s larger strategy as they emerge to become a bigger Internet media player,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst with the Kelsey group who had been briefed on the Google Talk strategy.

A trial version, in English only initially, can be found at www.google.com/talk. Users need to have a Google Gmail account. The computer-to- computer web calling software requires speakers and a microphone, or a computer-ready headset.

The service fits within the Google Sidebar, another service the company introduced this week which is designed to help it branch out beyond pure search to help users manage email, instant messages, news headlines and music.

The basic, uncluttered design of Google Talk conceals subtle differences with some jazzier features of rivals.

“When instant messaging is like Las Vegas, with all kinds of advertising banners, it’s very distracting,” Sterling said.

Seeking to turn its outsider status into a strength, Google said its Talk service would allow users to communicate with other open systems such as Trillian, Apple Computer’s iChat and a system under test at EarthLink .

“If successful, it will drive Gmail adoption,” Georges Harik, product management director for Google Talk said.