Google Launches International Version of Knol Web Encyclopedia Service

According to foreign media reports, Google announced on Thursday the launch of local language versions of its Knol online encyclopedia service in three countries: France, Germany, and Italy. This marks the first international release of Knol, four months after its official launch.

Industry insiders believe that although Google's Knol still has some distance to go before it can be considered a success, as a product launched only four months ago, Knol needs more time.

Google officially launched Knol in July this year with the aim of creating an entirely new user-generated online knowledge base. Through this service, Google will directly challenge the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

Google stated that according to the voluntary principle of users, Knol may include some AdSense ads. If users choose to include advertisements, Google will share the revenue with the content authors.

Sina Tech