If there’s one name that troubles the first and second-ranked social networks in the world, it’s Google+. The myriad of benefits that it carries is a long and growing list. But summing it all up, Google+ is a fusion of Facebook and Twitter features. It’s like a dream team of social networking: it has threading, commentary fields, media sharing and a one-way following comparable to that of Twitter.

Like many of you, I have both a Twitter and Facebook account; seeing the best of their features wrapped into one platform is a joy. But the dangerous part here is that we should remember that Google+ is only just a segment of a colossal organization, one that plans a slew of integration points across its many products and services.

It is quite interesting to note what a former Google employee has to say. And not just an ordinary ex-official, but employee number 59, an early member of Google. In his interview with The Wall Street Journal, he mentioned what he believes is the reason behind the establishment of Google+:

“My sense of it is, it’s not because they enjoy warm and fuzzy social interaction and they think oh, this would be a really wonderful way to bring our friends together and build a social circle. They look at it and say, ‘the information created in social networks is extremely important and valuable. If we don’t have access to that information, Google will be less valuable as an information source.’

“So, I think they take a much more calculated view of the value of the data they cannot get if they do not have a social network that is widely used. I think that scares them.”

“I think it scares Larry – this is not based on any conversation I’ve had with him, I just want to be clear this is my interpretation — I would guess, knowing what I do about him, that the notion that a large body of very useful information would be unavailable to Google to search, to present to the world and to use for improving its own products, that I think is something that he would find unacceptable,” he added.

Google+ received a boisterous reception when it made its first public appearance in early July. The warm welcome goes with the list of companies that have already associated Google+ with the promising future of social networking. Dell was one of the first organizations to become interested in Google+, and immediately partnered with them to hopefully extend better customer service to consumers. And as of today, Google+ is available in iTunes app store.

On the other hand, skeptics see Google+ as another failed attempt to change the face of social networking and media. For one, it was fundamentally built on the same concept that conceived Facebook. With little points of differentiation, Google+ could flop without warning. Another question on Google’s camp is the privacy—which is still a hot item.

Anything new within the social networking platform excites the world. However, with walls of Facebook firmly cemented, neophytes should be able to offer something that Zuck’s social network is lacking. Give the public a reason to break-up with the Facebook or Twitter. But, when you speak of Google+, we are not looking at a new entrant here. Google has been in the social networking realm as much as they are the search realm, in various facets, many of which set out to benefit its search services.   And this is where Google+’s advantage really lies: it is part of a multi-faceted organization. If and when Google will be able to completely leverage on its monopoly and fuse the power of their products into Google+ — this could be the defining moment that no one believed would actually happen.