Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of facility is in Council Bluffs?
Google has built a data center -- a specialized facility filled with computers and run by employees who maintain the machines and the building. The computers inside run some of Google's services like the Google search engine, Gmail, and Google Maps. Even your own Google searches may be processed there.
Why did Google choose Council Bluffs?
Council Bluffs has the right combination of energy infrastructure, developable land and available workforce for the data center. Additionally, the team from the local community that welcomed us has worked exceptionally hard throughout the selection process. All of this has truly distinguished Council Bluffs as a great place for our new data center.
What kind of skills does Google look for when hiring?
Jobs at Google data centers focus on ensuring that the facility’s computers are running at optimum speed and efficiency 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Different positions require a variety of skills and backgrounds, ranging from entry-level technology assistants to experienced data center managers and Linux administrators. In every case, we look for individuals who demonstrate the potential to excel in intense computing environments. You can find specific skill requirements on our jobs page.
Has Google engaged with any community organizations?
Yes, Google is committed to playing a positive role in the community and we're already engaged in many such pursuits around the world. Learn more about our approach and core values.
Now that our facility is operational, we have engaged in various community projects in the Council Bluffs area. For more information about what we're currently doing in the community, please visit our Community Outreach page.
Where is Google based?
Google is based in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Northern California's technology-rich Silicon Valley. Mountain View and the surrounding area is home to many of the folks who conceive and create Google’s applications and innovations.
What's Google's story?
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. It all started in 1998 when our founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, working out of a Stanford University dorm room, developed a new approach to online search that quickly spread to information seekers around the globe. As a result, Google is now widely recognized as the world's largest search engine -- a free service whose utility and ease of use have made it one of the world's best-known brands. Shortly after our search engine became popular, our engineers began developing a variety of free online and mobile applications like Gmail, Google Maps, Google News, and Google Docs & Spreadsheets. And along the way, Google has acquired companies that share our vision, such as Picasa (personal photo organizing software) and YouTube (the leading online video service). All of these services help you to create, locate and manage the information that is important to you. And many of them will be maintained in our new Council Bluffs data center.
How does Google make money?
The majority of Google's revenue comes from providing highly-relevant advertising to online consumers searching for information on related products and services. Google AdWords, our auction-base advertising system, allows advertisers of all sizes to reach the right customers at the right time by showing ads that are relevant to that user's searches. And best of all, advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad. It's a win-win situation for advertisers and consumers: Consumers see relevant ads about products and services (alongside our natural search results), and advertisers only pay when interested consumers click on their ads.
What are Google’s products?
Google offers a wide variety of Internet services such as our original search engine, maps, news and email. You can sample some of Google’s products in the sidebar on this page.
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