The Google Wave is one step closer to breaking after the announcement that invitations would be sent to some 100,000 developers, business and university customers and first-time users to preview the service.

A 'wave', which is a browser-based tool that is 'shared, live and in equal parts conversation and document', has created a particular buzz amongst journalists who see the opportunities that combining email, instant messaging and real-time interaction, opens up. It could very well change the way journalists currently work.

Google Wave's main attraction to those in the media industry, is that it offers a platform for collaborative journalism, whereby different participants can write, edit, add notes and pictures to a story. After Google's initial announcement of the service in May, American journalist, Jeff Jarvis wrote on his blog about the usefulness such a service might have for journalists: "Imagine a team of reporters - together with witnesses on the scene - able to contribute photos and news to the same Wave (formerly known as a story or a page). One can write up what is known; a witness can add facts from the scene and photos; an editor or reader can ask questions. And it is all contained under a single address - a permalink for the story - that is constantly updated from a collaborative team."

The ability to record and archive interviews, update stories more efficiently, and have real-time discussions are amongst other features piquing interest.

Despite the hype, however, some remain skeptical as to whether or not Wave will really take off: "Although the product connects with other live editing tools, it still might fail to reach a critical mass. The fact that Google Wave will run in most browsers except Internet Explorer might be a setback; users of the Microsoft browser will have to download a plug-in called Chrome Frame to use the application," writes Mercedes Bunz on The Digital Content Blog.

Source: Guardian, Google Blog