Google to retire Blogger & Picasa brands

(Mashable) -- Say goodbye to the Picasa and Blogger names: Google intends to retire several non-Google name brands and rename them as Google products, Mashable has learned.

The move is part of a larger effort to unify its brand for the public launch of Google+, the search giant's social initiative.

Blogger and Picasa aren't going away, of course -- they're two of Google's most popular products. Instead, according to two sources familiar with the matter, Google intends to rename Picasa "Google Photos" and Blogger will become "Google Blogs." 

At first i was shocked after reading the headline: "Google to retire Blogger & Picasa brands", they could say RE-BRANDING Google & Blogger. Blogger & Picasa are Google's Blogging and photo services. This is why they are renaming them. The Google Brand is instantly recognizable, Blogger and Picasa are not, unless one is already using the service. Its a good strategy, it will increase their consumer base.