Until millions of people started clamoring for invitations, the announcement of Google+ was met with a lot of eye rolling. Hadn't Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) tried this social network thing before--and more than once? Yes, but there's good reason to take notice this time.

Business-oriented features on the way

Facebook and Twitter are popular venues for businesses, but for now, Google Product Manager Christian Oestlien admits "we know our product as it stands is not optimally suited to their needs."

Oestlien goes on to say that Google is readying a Google+ platform for businesses, due later this year. He notes that "in the meantime, we are discouraging businesses from using regular profiles to connect with Google+ users. Our policy team will actively work with profile owners to shut down non-user profiles."

But there's no denying that businesses that get on board now could have a leg up in understanding the features and advantages of Google+. Naveen Hariprasad of Forbes says that "any company that cares about what consumers are saying--and where they are saying it--should get familiar with Google+ now."

While he suggests enterprises experiment with the platform, he warns that "you may end up having to recreate the profile again this fall."

The real difference

As advertised, Google+'s marquee feature, Circles, makes it easier to target the people users want to share with, which is a hassle to do on Facebook. But Google+ really distinguishes itself from Facebook in how relationships function on the site.

On Facebook, all friendships are reciprocal, so two people are either both friends with each other or no different than strangers. Since rejecting a friend request can be cruel, it's common for a user to accept someone into their network without wanting to grant full access to updates and Wall posts.

On the other hand, users can list someone in their Google+ Circles without that person feeling pressured to reciprocate. It's simple enough, and the appeal is obvious--but its not possible on Facebook.

John Mancini, the president of AIIM, raves that "the Circles concept is WAY better than the clunky way that Facebook does it and exactly consistent with how real people think about their different social universes." In a post on his blog, Digital Landfill, he also notes that the Hangouts feature, which allows users to video conference with multiple people at the same time, would be "handy for business meetings."

Nowhere near over

But will Google+ catch on? Facebook remains entrenched partly because people are unlikely to migrate to a new social site that has fewer of their friends. That, along with there being so much data such as photos already invested in its system, makes Facebook "sticky." However, having a new profile to fill out and a new network of friends to accumulate could bring back the excitement of the early days of Facebook.

Late last year, the media was buzzing about Facebook's potential "Gmail killer," an upgraded internal messaging system that was supposed to be a full-fledged email client. The hype faded, and in the end email's staying power deserved more recognition.

It makes more sense that, if social networking and email had to be integrated, Google+ and Gmail would be a Facebook killer. But in reality, Facebook will probably incorporate some of Google+'s features, lessening the lure of switching.

Years after Gmail received enthusiastic reviews and went mainstream, it still lags behind Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail in terms of market share. Many people are reluctant to change. Google+ won't eliminate Facebook, but it could follow in Gmail's footsteps: a major player that doesn't need to own the biggest piece of the pie to matter.