Google has waded into the social networking arena with software designed to break down barriers between existing networks and link small websites into an overarching web of friends.

Google Friend Connect provides participating sites with plug-in applications to enable the exchange of messages, photographs, music, video and games. It will also allow anyone users to import their photos and friends list from Facebook, LinkedIn and a range of smaller social networks.

The software is based on the Google-led Open Social platform, which means that independent software developers will be able to write new programs to extend the scope of the system. It will be available to websites at no cost.

“We see the web moving toward an end state where people can use any application on any website with any of their friends,” David Glazer, Google’s director of engineering, said.

“Social activity on the web has been bottled up in a handful of sites. As things mature on the web they become more open and more inter-operable.”

Google said that participating websites, which will incorporate Friend Connect applications by pasting in code from Google, will benefit from increased traffic as users attract friends from within their network. They will also be able to engage more easily with their visitors by encouraging feedback, debate and recommendations, the company said.

Last week both Facebook and MySpace, which is owned by the parent company of Times Online, said they would allow members of their networks to export information and applications from their profile to other websites.

Their announcements illustrate the attempts of the dominant social networks to extend their powerful web presence into new, more profitable areas. Many sites have struggled to make money despite their huge network of members.

Google, whose AdSense online advertising system displays adverts based on the content of a web page, hopes to find a way of making money from the trend towards social networks, according to Rob Enderle, a technology analyst.

“Much like Google controls the overall online advertising experience, I think this is Google trying to figure out how to own the virtual representation of a person on the web,” he said.

“Monetising the virtual person on the web is where the money is and they are trying to figure out how to do that. If you want to have the door into my wallet you want to be as close to my information as you can get.”

Friend Connect is currently in a limited trial phase and will be available more widely in the next few months, Google said. Facebook and MySpace are expected to release their applications in the next few weeks.

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