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Larry Page
Google co-founder Larry Page: 'people are flocking to Google+ at an incredible rate'. Photograph: Peter Foley/EPA
Google co-founder Larry Page: 'people are flocking to Google+ at an incredible rate'. Photograph: Peter Foley/EPA

Google's UK revenues rise by recession-defying 7%

This article is more than 12 years old
Online and mobile advertising generate $1.05bn as Larry Page hails successful start to Google+

Google revenues rose by a recession-defying 7% in the UK in the last three months with online and mobile advertising generating $1.05bn.

But growth in the UK was much slower than in the rest of the world where the online giant saw its revenue shoot up 33% to an eye-watering $10bn.

The UK's slice of the action accounts for 11% of revenues compared with 12% in the third quarter of 2010.

Google's results for the three months to 30 September saw its share price jump more than 6% to $594.53 in after-hours trading after a conference call with US analysts, impressed by the 26% rise in profits in the last quarter results.

"When I look back at the last quarter, the word that springs to mind is, Gangbusters," said CEO Larry Page during a conference call with analysts.

"People are flocking to Google+ at an incredible rate and we are just getting started," he said, adding that billions of digital photos had already been shared at Google+.

Social features highlighted at Google+ will be "baked in" to the other online offerings, he added.

Page said Google's bid to take on Facebook was working and was now being used by more than 40m people, since it was launched to the public on 20 September. Although a good start, it is a long way from challenging Facebook which boasts 800 million users.

Use of Chrome, Google's rival to Firefox and Internet Explorer is "through the roof", with more than 200 million people using the browser, said Page.

"Last quarter we shipped 'plus' and now we are going to ship the Google part," Page said.

"We are still at the very early stages of what technology can deliver. These tools we use online will look very different in five years' time and we are building these tools into Google-plus."

Revenue was up 33% compared with the same quarter last year to $10bn with online advertising accounting for about a third of this.

Mobile advertising on its Android devices has now hit £1.5bn with 190m Android handsets worldwide.

Net income rose to $2.73bn on the wings of online advertising revenue that soared to $9.72bn in the third quarter, which ended on 30 September.

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