Google+ on Thursday announced the launch of a new group feature called Google+ Communities. The new program allows users to create public and private groups that can be centered around a specific topic or brand.

According to Google VP Vic Gundotra the new Communities button on the left side of the Google+ menu allows users to form groups or search for groups by category. Once a member of a group users can join events or participate in video-chat Hangouts.

Google+ will also allow users to share Communities through +1 button support on the web.

Google has also announced that it has surpassed 500 million users with 235 million active Google+ customers for Hangouts and +1 button use. Google also claims 135 million Google+ pages users.  read more