There are a number of questions flying around the technology world as March 1, the day when Google’s new privacy policy takes effect, quickly approaches. The one that all Google users should be asking, though, is

What does Google’s new policy mean for me?

The answer is simple: Google’s new privacy policy means that Google will offer you more personalized services and that you will see more integration across all of Google’s services than ever before. This is possible because of how Google’s new privacy policy functions. Currently, Google has a separate policy for each of its platforms, but as of March 1 most of its platforms will come under one policy. This change will allow Google to track an individual user more completely, basically as one user across all of its services, rather than logging data for each service separately. Because Google will be seeing viewers in a more complete picture, it will be able to offer more tailored results and more seamless integration across Google platforms.

How will this pesronalization affect me?

As far as personalization is concerned, Google users will experience the most changes in the advertisements and search results they see. When Google learns what exactly you are interested in and how you tend to spend your time online, it will take this information and use it to give you advertisements in which you will be interested and search results you actually want. For example, as Google learns your search habits, it will not only be able to provide you with the type of results you generally like, but will also know exactly what you’re looking for when you type in vague or generic search queries. Beyond advertisements and search results, you will also see more personalized services when Google begins to correct your frequent spelling errors and suggests a list of contacts with whom you might want to share certain content.

In addition to noticing that Google services are being tailored to meet your individual needs, when the new privacy policy goes into place you will also notice that your activity on different Google platforms are more closely tied than ever before.  For example, Google may use information you have put into your Google Calendar, such as the time of a meeting, along with data you have put into Google Maps if you’re using the service to get to the meeting, to inform you that you may or may not make it on time.

Keep a tab on your “Googlization”

Because these changes may be a lot for you to take in or difficult to fully grasp at first, Google has created tools to help you better understand exactly what the new policy means for you. For example, you can log into your to view your online activity across all of Google’s services in one, succinct place. This feature will allow you to view your user data in the same way that Google will. Another new feature Google has introduced is the Ads Preference Manager, which allows you to hand-pick the type of advertisements you see, essentially assisting Google in the personalization process.

The more you use Google, the better you get

Given that these changes will occur because Google will be viewing a more complete profile of each user, it is important to note that the more often you use Google services, and the more Google services you use, the greater the change you’ll experience. Simply put, this means that if you’re a Google Apps user and utilize a whole host of Google platforms like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google+, and Google Maps daily, you will have a more tailored experience than someone who uses a few choice Google services on an irregular basis.

What to do if you do not want to be tracked?

Now that you have a better picture of what Google’s new privacy policy entails, it’s easier to understand exactly how the changes will affect you. Though these changes will improve your online experience, what if you don’t want certain information being used by Google? There is a simple solution to this. Google has tools in place that allow you to use its services without having the cloud service provider log data about you. These tools include “off the record” chat in Gmail and the “incognito window” in the Google Chrome web browser.

Although there may be some instances when you want to go off the radar from Google, on a whole, the fact that Google will be using your information to personalize your online experience is a positive change because it means that Google will be meeting your needs better and doing so more efficiently.

Article Courtesy: Cloud Sherpas, a leading cloud service provider that has been named as the “Google Enterprise 2011 Partner of the Year.”