Google Un-Packs Trillian

Cerulean Studios’ Trillian instant messenger manager is no longer included in Google Pack, a free bundle of desktop software programs that Google’s been making available since last January.

“Our goals are seemingly no longer perfectly aligned with those of Google,” Cerulean Studios wrote on its blog. “Their reasons for removing Trillian are their own and were not made available to us.”

“We harbor no ill-will towards them and wish them the best of luck; they’re going to need it.”

A Google spokeswoman confirms Google Pack’s un-packing. “Trillian is no longer being offered through the Google Pack,” a Google spokeswoman wrote in an email.

The move suggests that Google’s in the midst of overhauling Google Pack, and Trillian may be collateral damage.

In response to a query about why Trillian was removed, a Google spokeswoman wrote “Google Pack is currently in beta, and the selection of software available through the Pack will continue to evolve.”

Why is Google doing this? Again, the firm didn’t expand on a short statement it issued May 19. But some suggest in the Cerulian online forum that it’s a matter of Google Pack having two varieties of the same feature. Before it was ousted, Trillian shared the Google Pack limelight with Google Talk, Google’s instant messaging application.

Trillian has been part of Google Pack since it was introduced last January. But since then, Google’s hired an architect of a Trillian competitor, known as GAIM.

GAIM, Trillian et al let people operate a number of different instant messaging applications using one interface, rather than having to toggle between different IM windows.