World’s most popular Internet search firm Google has notified its Google Video users that the service would be shut down permanently on 13th of May.

Google Video has not been allowing users to upload new videos since May 2009, but now the firm has decided to remove all video altogether from the service, which will stop operating next month.

Users have been provided with a download button, which allows them to download and save their videos locally. To download a video, one has to go to the Video Status page, click on the Download Video link appear on the right hand side of each of the videos in the Actions column. "Already Downloaded" appears following the completion of downloading.

No video will be available following the closure of the service.

Google said it would instead concentrate its efforts on video search technologies. The firm is advising Google Video users to move their material to its video-sharing site YouTube.

Google Video was initiated in 2005, around a year prior to YouTube’s purchase by Google.