Google today said it will close its Orkut service effective September 30.
Orkut is a social network of sorts that embodies communities, games, and social interactions. It has been around for a decade. Usage in the U.S. declined over the last six to eight years, but Orkut remained popular in other markets, such as Brazil and India.
According to Google, the dedicated Orkut mobile application will no longer be available as of today, but those who’ve downloaded it will continue to be able to use the app and Orkut until the September 30 shutdown date. Google suggests users take advantage of its Google Takeout service to download and archive any content they may want saved. Account data will be inaccessible after September 30.
Google will preserve the open community threads, and suggests users transition their content and communities to Google+. Google often kills underperforming products.
