Google Reorganization: AR, VR, Starline & Area 120 Move to 'Labs'

Google Restructures Innovation Efforts Under “Google Labs”

Google has reintroduced the “Google Labs” moniker, though not as a public-facing brand for experimental products. This time, it designates an internal team formed through a company-wide reorganization. The aim is to consolidate numerous innovative projects and long-term investments under a unified structure.

Leadership and Scope of the New Organization

Clay Bavor, a long-serving Google VP, will spearhead this new organization. His previous responsibilities included leading the company’s initiatives in virtual and augmented reality, notably the advanced holographic videoconferencing system, Project Starline.

Bavor’s leadership will encompass Google’s current AR and VR endeavors, the futuristic Starline project, the internal incubator Area 120, and other ventures deemed to have “high-potential” for long-term growth. He will directly report to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Area 120: A History of Incubation and Success

Established in 2016, Area 120 was designed to attract and retain entrepreneurial talent within Google. It provided teams with the freedom to explore new concepts while leveraging Google’s extensive data, products, and resources.

Over the years, Area 120 has yielded several successful projects and spin-offs. These include GameSnacks, an HTML5 gaming platform now integrated into Google Chrome in select regions; Byteboard, a technical interview platform that became an external venture; Tables, an AirTable competitor acquired by Google Cloud; and AdLingo, an AI-driven advertising platform also integrated into Cloud.

Further successes include the video platforms Tangi and Shoploop, which were incorporated into Google Search and Shopping, respectively, and the travel app Touring Bird, acquired by Commerce.

Current Incubations and Reporting Structure

Currently, Area 120 is nurturing projects such as ThreadIt, a workplace video platform, Orion, a spectrum marketplace, and Stack, a document scanner, among others. Approximately 20 projects are typically in development simultaneously, though not all are publicly disclosed.

Previously, Area 120 operated three layers removed from Google CEO Sundar Pichai, requiring his approval for every project exit. It was also part of a larger group overseen by Don Harrison, President of Global Partnerships and Corporate Development. The reorganization will relocate Area 120 alongside other innovative projects, potentially increasing the visibility of these teams and their work.

The Significance of the “Labs” Branding

While Google is utilizing “Labs” solely as an internal designation, the name carries historical weight within the company. The original “Google Labs” was synonymous with the company’s public experiments, many of which evolved into widely used products.

A Look Back at the Original Google Labs

From 2002 to 2011, Google Labs was responsible for creating products like Personalized Web Search, Google Web Alerts, Google Docs and Spreadsheets, Google Reader, Google Shopper (now Google Shopping), Aardvark, Google Goggles, Gesture Search for Android, iGoogle, Google Maps, Google Transit, Google Video, Google Talk, Google Trends, Google Scholar, Google Code Search, Google Suggest, and Google Groups – many of which are now integral to Google’s core offerings.

Focus on Long-Term Bets and Experienced Leadership

Google’s current plan doesn’t involve relaunching Labs as a public brand; instead, individuals will be directly assigned to project teams like Starline. However, the reorganization is expected to prioritize some of Google’s most ambitious initiatives.

By placing Labs under Bavor’s direction – a seasoned Google leader with a proven track record in product management for key products like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Workspace – Google is leveraging his expertise in transforming innovative concepts into mainstream products.

Internal Announcement and Confirmation

In a communication to employees, the company described the reorganization as a strategy “focused on starting and growing new, forward-looking investment areas across the company.”

The announcement further stated that “Central to this org is a new team called Labs, focused on extrapolating technology trends and incubating a set of high-potential, long-term projects.”

Google initially confirmed the changes to TechCrunch following inquiries from internal sources. A Google spokesperson stated that “Clay has taken on an expanded role. His work will focus on long-term technology projects that are in direct support of our core products and businesses.”