Google has announced it will not be offering Google Code and Google Maps Engine (GME) services after January 29, 2016, and that Songza will be merged into Google Play Music on January 31.
In the case of Google Code and GME, these moves are being made because developer resources have grown beyond the scope of the original Google services. With Songza, it’s a matter of merging an acquisition into a Google-branded service.
Google Code was launched in 2006 as an open-source code repository to encourage open-source development. Since then, more powerful services like GitHub, SourceForge and Bitbucket have become popular with developers, leaving Google Code to less sophisticated developers or abusive uses like spamming. Rather than devoting resources to improving Google Code, the company has decided to encourage users to migrate to the other services and is offering several tools to facilitate it. The important thing to realize is that you must move your code off Google before January 29 or risk losing it.
The Google Maps Engine and its API will also be discontinued on January 29. Here again, it’s a matter of newer solutions like My Maps becoming available, making the older service obsolete. Maps created in Maps Engine Lite and Maps Engine Pro have already been upgraded to My Maps, and the Maps API will be usable under the terms and conditions of My Maps. You can learn more in the My Maps Help Center.
As for Songza, the music streaming service that was acquired by Google in 2014, the time has simply come to eliminate the redundancy of Google having two music services. Songza is being integrated into Google Play Music to build a single, cohesive product…under the Google brand, of course. Songza users can migrate their accounts to Google Play Music at no cost so their songs, play lists and favorites will remain intact. Songza users are being notified on the app and by email, and the Songza site and apps will no longer be accessible after January.
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