Catalyst - 6:03 pm on Apr 12, 2011 (gmt 0)

I'm glad that Google WISELY decided to kill the separate app and the name HotPot and merge it into it’s rightful place as an integrated feature of the core local product - Google Places.

No one is talking about how huge this is – but to me it speaks VOLUMES!

Have you seen how much energy and how many dollars G was putting into promoting HotPot including major “feet on the street” marketing campaigns in several cities?

I think it diverted SO MUCH energy and money AWAY from Google Places. Now all those campaigns will be talking Google Places instead and creating more awareness for the total local solution, not just HotPot.

For those of us that have been (not so) patiently waiting for Google to invest more resources to make Google Places work better, this is a hopeful signal that things could change.

Plus now that Bing Business Portal has been launched with many very basic features we've thought Google Places should have had all along, hopefully it will set the bar higher.

I'm a big believer in what Google Places can and SHOULD be and with all the positive changes Jeff Huber, the new SVP is making already, I'm hopeful a steady stream of improvements are on the way!

Linda Buquet