Google历史上所有被收购的公司汇总

Google帝国正在以神奇的速度扩张着，William Slawski 采编了一部Google收购其他公司的完整历史，有些收购你可能从来没听说过。看看Google是怎样成为今天的Google的。

http://solidot.org/article.php/20051227233059691

原来地址：http://www.seobythesea.com/?p=64

Google Acquisitions

posted @ 1:11 am in [ Search Engines and Directories ] by William

Slawski

With all of the recent acquisitions by Yahoo! and Google, I decided to take a closer look at some of the companies that Google has purchased. I’m glad I did. I came across a couple of papers I hadn’t seen before, and learned a little more about some of Google’s employees that I didn’t know.

Android

Android (August 2005), software for mobile telephones
Founded by Andy Rubin, accompanied by Andy McFadden, Richard Miner, and Chris White.

Akwan Information Technologies

Akwan Information Technologies (July 2005)
Google Press Release: Google Continues International Expansion, Opens Offices in Latin America

The office in Sao Paulo, Brazil follows the acquisition of Brazil’s Akwan Information Technologies Inc. in July of this year. Akwan has become Google’s R&D centre in Brazil.

An example of the type of research being conducted by the people at Akwan: Distributed Processing of Conjunctive Queries (pdf)

Dodgeball

Dodgeball (May 2005), social-networking software for mobile devices

Founders Dennis Crowley and Alex Rainert, see: Google Buys Social Networking Firm and The Future of Wireless

Urchin Software

Urchin Software (March 2005), Web Analytics software
Google Press Release: Google Agrees To Acquire Urchin

Urchin is a web site analytics solution used by web site owners and marketers to better understand their users’ experiences, optimize content and track marketing performance.

Patent Applications:

System and method for tracking unique visitors to a website

Abstract:

A system and method for analyzing traffic to a website is provided that is based on log files and that uses both server-side and client-side information channeled through one source to create a more complete picture of activity to a website. In one preferred embodiment, a sensor code is embedded in a requested web page, and sends information back to the web server where the website resides. This additional information is logged along with normal requests.

System and method for monitoring and analyzing internet traffic

Abstract:

A system and method for monitoring and analyzing Internet traffic is provided that is efficient, completely automated, and fast enough to handle the busiest websites on the Internet, processing data many times faster than existing systems. The system and method of the present invention processes data by reading log files produced by web servers, or by interfacing with the web server in real time, processing the data as it occurs. The system and method of the present invention can be applied to one website or thousands of websites, whether they reside on one server or multiple servers. The multi-site and sub-reporting capabilities of the system and method of the present invention makes it applicable to servers containing thousands of websites and entire on-line communities. In one embodiment, the system and method of the present invention includes e-commerce analysis and reporting functionality, in which data from standard traffic logs is received and merged with data from e-commerce systems. The system and method of the present invention can produce reports showing detailed “return on investment” information, including identifying which banner ads, referrals, domains, etc. are producing specific dollars.

Zipdash

Zipdash (December 2004) Provides navigation assistance for road traffic on mobile in real time by GPS.
See: Navigating by phone and Google acquires traffic info start-up Zipdash

Where 2 Technologies

Where 2 Technologies (October 2004), Internet mapping

Brothers Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen and Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen are from Google’s Sydney office, and have been actively involved in the patent applications behind Google Maps, and using Geographic location information. Before then, they were with Where 2 technologies. See: Take browsers to the limit: Google, and Google Maps and AJAX vs WithStyle - the Australian Legacy, and Assigning Geographic Locations to Web Pages.

Keyhole

Keyhole (October 2004), imagery by satellite
Google Press Release: Google Acquires Keyhole Corp

Keyhole’s technology combines a multi-terabyte database of mapping information and images collected from satellites and airplanes with easy-to-use software.

Picassa

Picasa (July 2004), software of management of photographs on line
Google Press Release: Google Acquires Picasa

Google Inc. today announced it acquired Picasa, Inc., a Pasadena, Calif.-based digital photo management company

Ignite Logic

Ignite Logic (May 2004), design of turn key legal sites. Puzzling acquisition, though founder David Ferguson has an interesting past.

Genius Labs

Genius Labs (October 2003), Biz Stone was Genius Labs. He is no longer with Google.

Sprinks

Sprinks (October 2003), paid advertising

Kaltix

Kaltix (September 2003), Research on personalized search, from Taher Haveliwala, Glen Jeh, and Sepandar Kamvar.
Google Press Release: Google Acquires Kaltix Corp.

Kaltix Corp. was formed in June 2003 and focuses on developing personalized and context-sensitive search technologies that make it faster and easier for people to find information on the web.

Patent application:

System and method for presenting multiple sets of search results for a single query

Abstract:

A system and a method that manages a user query by a single interaction between a server and a client. A plurality of clients send queries for search results to a server. The server receives these queries and performs multiple searches to generate multiple sets of search results. These sets of search results are ranked, consolidated and passed to the requesting client. The client stores these multiple sets of search results. The client then displays these search results in accordance to the boundary defined by the user. This boundary defines the portions of the search results that the user desires to view. The user may re-define the boundary. The client identifies the search results corresponding to the boundary and displays them.

Applied Semantics

Applied Semantics (April 2003), contextual advertising
Google Press Release: Google Acquires Applied Semantics

Applied Semantics’ products are based on its patented CIRCA technology, which understands, organizes, and extracts knowledge from websites and information repositories in a way that mimics human thought and enables more effective information retrieval.

Patents:

Meaning-based advertising and document relevance determination

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to a system in which a semantic space is searched in order to determine the semantic distance between two locations. A further aspect of the present invention provides a system in which a portion of semantic space is purchased and associated with a target data set element which is returned in response to a search input. The semantic space is created by a lexicon of concepts and relations between concepts. An input is associated with a location in the semantic space. Similarly, each data element in the target data set being searched is associated with a location in the semantic space. Searching is accomplished by determining a semantic distance between the first and second location in semantic space, wherein this distance represents their closeness in meaning and where the cost for retrieval of target data elements is based on this distance.

Meaning-based information organization and retrieval

Abstract:

The present invention relies on the idea of a meaning-based search, allowing users to locate information that is close in meaning to the concepts they are searching. A semantic space is created by a lexicon of concepts and relations between concepts. A query is mapped to a first meaning differentiator, representing the location of the query in the semantic space. Similarly, each data element in the target data set being searched is mapped to a second meaning differentiator, representing the location of the data element in the semantic space. Searching is accomplished by determining a semantic distance between the first and second meaning differentiator, wherein this distance represents their closeness in meaning. Search results on the input query are presented where the target data elements that are closest in meaning, based on their determined semantic distance, are ranked higher.

Neotonic Software

Neotonic Software (April 2003), email customer support Case Study from neotonic, about how they helped Google in the days before the purchase. Google also hired David Jeske, who was the co-founder of Neotonic and the former director of engineering for eGroups.

Pyra Labs

Pyra Labs (February 2003), editor of Blogger, blogging platform

Outride

Outride (September 2001), a Xerox PARC spinoff, data-mining and semantic analysis. See: Personalized Search: A contextual computing approach may prove a breakhrough in personalized search efficiency (pdf) and Personalized Search

Google Press Release: Google Acquires Technology Assets of Outride Inc.

Outride, a spin-off from Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), was created to apply state-of-the-art model-based relevance technology to the challenge of online information retrieval.

Deja

Deja.com (February 2001), Purchase of their usenet archive and other assets, which become Google Groups.
Google Press Release: Google Acquires Usenet Discussion Service and Significant Assets from Deja.com

老魏 05-12-28 04:23
2005年6月以前的重要收购：

Google是新的互联网巨人。在这位巨人成长过程中，吞食掉很多大大小小的公司。今天我们来回顾一下那些已经被Google收入囊中的公司，同时也会对谁将成为Google的下个目标做以分析。

已经被收购的：

·Deja News（即现在的Google Groups）- 原本是间基于新闻组Usenet服务的公司，于1995年创建。99年和2000年时，Deja盲目地陷进了在线购物这坛混水中。赔了不少银子，之后也就是2000年晚些时候，Deja将Shopping这部分业务卖给了eBay，成为Half.com的一部分。
2001年2月，大G(注：即Google)介入Usenet服务并夺取了其新闻组存档，在私人收藏的帮助下，Google Groups使新闻组存档扩展到了1981年。时至今日，Deja的Usenet、邮件列表已经成为Google Groups的重要组成部分。

·Outride - Outride是PARC(施乐帕洛阿尔托研究中心)旗下的公司，提供在线信息检索技术。2001年9月，Google将Outride的核心技术应用到它自己的搜索引擎中。Outride.com已经不存在，Outride.net象征性地指向了Google的首页。

·Applied Semantics - Google现在所用的AdSense/AdWords服务均来自于这家公司，于2003年4月正式启用，Google借此来与Yahoo!的Overture相竞争。

·Kaltix - 这间只有三位成员的搜索技术公司刚刚冒出，就被Google拿下了。这三位老兄都来自美国斯坦福大学PageRank小组。他们提出的个性化搜索技术还没有任何一家搜索引擎公司所采用，正当这三位老兄向其它搜索引擎公司展示他们的技术时，Google找上门来，并于2003年9月收购Kaltix，并将其技术应用在Google个性化搜索服务中。

·Blogger - Blogger.com是Pyra Labs的旗舰产品。Blogger的成长速度惊人，曾创下单月过百万注册用户的纪录。但在很长时间里，它没有赚到钱，连线上广告业务也没有。原始资本快花光了，一些员工也辞职了，包括当初一起创立Blogger的部分成员。Pyra试图扭转颓势，于是引入了Blogspot的付费模式，效果一般。很明显，简单的copy模式是不够的，Pyra需要更多资金来维持正常运转。2003年中，Google向其注入资金。后来的故事就像今天所看到的，Blogger于2004年5月请来专业设计师重新设计了页面。目前它已成为人们最常用的工具之一。

·Picasa - Picasa是什么？只是一套价值30美元的照片管理软件。第一版发布于2001年10月。2004年5月，Picasa宣布将其技术整合到Google Blogger中。接下来，Google在2004年7月收购了这家公司，Picasa也变成了免费软件(freeware)，Picasa曾荣获许多PC杂志的奖项。

·Keyhole - Keyhole创立于2001年，提供数字地图服务。2004年10月被Google收购，从那时起，Keyhole地图软件包的售价由$69.95降为$29.95。其技术已经被集成在Google Maps搜索服务中。

·Zipdash - Google于2004年收购了这家以提供交通量地图为主要业务的公司。这起并购没有做多少宣扬，Google仅在2004年报中提及过Zipdash。

·Where2 - 这家澳大利亚的地图公司也在Google 2004年报中有所提及，但是知之甚少，应该也是和Google Map有关。

·Urchin - 一间Web分析和统计公司，于2005年3月被Google收购。可能用于AdWords/AdSense技术中。

·Dodgeball - Google于2005年5月收购了这间只有2个人的手机社会化网络公司。这间公司一直在寻找投资者，Google顺理成章为它埋了单。目前为止还没有什么消息传出，但其技术可能被用于Google Mobile。


上面就是已经被Google收购的公司。一个常见的误解是Google在首次IPO以后才开始收购，其实IPO只是让Google收购变得更容易而已，在IPO之前，从2001到2004年8月，Google收购了6家公司，IPO以后又收购了5家公司。

我们刚才回顾了历史，下面是我个人认为Google应该、可能、将要，也许会考虑收购的公司。

可能被收购的公司：

理由之一，这些公司的服务被相当多的Google Bloggers使用着，之二，这些公司的特征符合Google未来的发展战略，并且可以很好的与Google现有的服务相融合在一起；之三，这些公司虽然很小，但是很快就在用户中变得非常流行。

·Technorati - 如果说一般人把Google设为首页，那么Technorati则是那些有一定技术专长用户的首页。Technorati是Blog门户，经常访问Technorati的，是那些喜欢podcasts，Wikipedia的用户，因为它能比普通搜索引擎提供更前卫的搜索结果。Technorati可能会和GoogleNews或者Blogger整合得很好，或者成为Google个性化首页的一部分。Technorati有些类似于Bloglines，而后者刚被Ask Jeeves收购。

·Buzznet - Yahoo!通过过收购Flickr给了Google一记重拳。
Buzznet与Flickr类似，提供照片存放和标签分享服务。
Buzznet也许会转向Picasa的Hello Photo服务，并且与Orkut很好的整合在一起。

·Koders - 一个很好的开放原代码搜索引擎。有趣的是，最近Google发布的一些诸如桌面搜索(GDS)之类的软件，都被Koders主动收录了。在某种程度上，它对于Google Code和Google Linux Search很有意义。

·GuruNet (Answers.com) - 最近，Google中止了到Dictionary.com的连接定义，转向了Answers.com。Answers.com使用Wikipedia使得自己的信息丰富而多样化。Wikipedia的的非盈利原则，使得不会成为Google潜在的承购对象。这样看来，Answer.com应该是最最佳的选择，同时，它还可以帮Google改进问答机制。有趣的是，GuruNet是一个公开交易的公司(AMEX: GRU)，市值大约为100百万美金。

·del.icio.us - 它的社会化书签和标签应用软件将有助于改进Google的搜索结果，并且可能与Orkut整合。

·StumbleUpon - 独特的浏览器插件，也许将有助于改进Google的搜索结果，并其之提高到一个新的水平。可能与Google Toolbar整合，因为两者都有类似的功能。

·Propel - 与Google Web加速器相似，Propel声称可以加速冲浪体验。这间公司的创始人是光电鼠标得发明者Steven T. Kirsch。他的Frame Technology Corp.和Infoseek公司分别被Adobe和Disney收购了。这个产品能够帮助GoogleWeb加速器解决当前的小麻烦(WeiZhenYu.com)。