Fishing for profits
Unlike Gmail, however, Google is really pushing for this project to crack the enterprise space, with the firm believing Wave will finally allow it to seep into the more lucrative world of corporate clientele.
Another Google blog, by Wave Product Manager Stephanie Hannon, also mentioned that the Internet giant may try to cash-in on the service via a ""monetizable wave extension store" - basically an app store which would let developers sell add-ons to the software.
Hannon explained that firms like SAP and Salesforce were already working on "software prototypes" to add on to Wave, including applications such video conferencing, trip-planning and games.
Rasmussen further writes there are also still "key features of Google Wave that we have yet to fully implement." For example, Rasmussen explains one can't yet remove a participant from a wave or define groups of users. Likewise, "draft mode is still missing and you can't configure the permissions of users on a wave."
Stormy seas ahead
Meanwhile, it would appear the whole Wave scenario could get a little choppy, with a storm brewing between Google and Microsoft. For Google to reach as wide an audience as possible, an Internet Explorer (IE) plug-in would be key, as Microsoft currently holds about 75 per cent of the browser market.
Getting around this, Google rather sneakily unveiled its "Chrome Frame" plugin last week, enabling Chrome to run inside IE itself. Both Microsoft and Mozilla have launched scathing attacks on the move, with Microsoft even going as far as calling it a "security risk"
Google hasn't yet given any firm indication about when Wave is likely to inundate the general public, but the official Wave Web site promises the service should wash up on a cyber beach near you "later this year".
Find out more by watching this Google-produced video.
