Google+, more thoughts

I was hoping Google+ would be rolling out more features by now, but they haven’t.  If they really want to become a viable social platform they need to add some essential functionality, and add it sooner, rather than later. Here are a couple of things I hope they add:

1. Integration with Google Apps
   If my company or organization is going to use Google+ as their Social Platform of choice, we’d like to have full integration with Calendar and Docs. Share files and events, as well as tasks would be essential to coordinate and plan on a Social Platform
2. Groups
   Right now it’s only followers and following.  You can’t really organize a group of people (department, suppliers, clients, hobby group, etc.) and have real two way communication between members of those groups.  Circles is only good for broadcasting and commenting on those broadcasts, not for real group communication, let alone set up events or meetings. Messages will get lost in the stream, people I’m following don’t know what circle of mine they’re in and I’m not even sure they’re following me and if so, have me in the same circle. Sure you can filter your stream to that particular circle, but I have no way of knowing if the rest of the people in my group do the same thing and see my posts.
3. Events
   If I’d like to plan an event and invite people I’d like those people to know about it and be able to RSVP. Right now, that’s impossible on Google+.  This should go hand in hand with the Google Apps integration.
4. Google+ Business and Organization Profiles
   I thought this would have been the first new feature to be implemented fairly quickly, I guess I was wrong. It would be nice if this too would become a feature integrated with Apps.  If you have your domain running under Google Apps (gMail, Calendar and Docs) it would be nice to control your Plus Profile from there as well.

Google has everything in house to make Google+ the best and most fully featured Social Platform for organizations and businesses, but it seems they don’t see what’s right under their noses.  Or maybe I’m just too impatient.