Google Maps founder Waves goodbye

Lars Rasmussen, co-founder of Google Maps and creator of open source collaboration project Google Wave has left the search giant for social networking company Facebook. 

Eric Roozendaal congratulates Pearcey Award winner Lars Rasmussen. Credit: NICTA

Alan Noble, engineering director for Google Australia and New Zealand credited Lars for making a "great contributions to Google in innovative products like Google Maps and Google Wave”.

“He was also instrumental in starting engineering in the Google Sydney office.  We wish him all the best," he said.

Reports by Tech Crunch revealed the news on Friday after Rasmussen's Facebook update said that he was “temporarily unemployed”.

In August, CRN reported  that staff survived Google’s decision to abandon Wave which was launched last year.  

Rasmussen told the SMH.com.au that the "ultimate failing" of Wave "was obviously a little stressful."