Google confirms Friend Connect - Social networking on steroids

Google will be launching its very own data portability service called Friend Connect.  This service allows website owners to easily integrate social services by entering a snibbit of code anywhere on the site and they can offer the Friend Connect features to their visitors.  Visitors will be able to see, invite, and interact with new friends or with the API’s to connect with existing friends on Facebook, Google Talk, hi5, orkut, Plaxo, and more.  Essentially turning any website into a social networking site.  Welcome to Web 2.5 Beta 1.

The press release from Google further explains how site owners can drive traffic to their site from visitors looking at friends bookmarks and have the option to publish the content to their own social network or blogs.  Google’s Friend Connect is currently a preview release, meaning it’s beta and is not officially a full blown Google service to the public.  They’re testing the waters to check the adoption rate and of course to smooth out any bugs.

Check it out at http://www.google.com/friendconnect (UPDATE: This link won’t work until after Campfire One  tonight)