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Google acquires Marratech's video conferencing software

Search-Engines-Web.com [PersonRank 10]

Friday, April 20, 2007
17 years ago5,727 views

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/collaborating-with-marratech.html

As a company, we thrive on casual interactions and spontaneous collaboration. So we're excited about acquiring Marratech's video conferencing software, which will enable from-the-desktop participation for Googlers in videoconference meetings wherever there's an Internet connection.

We look forward to learning from the extraordinary ingenuity of Marratech's engineers as they focus on desktop conferencing research and development in Sweden, where they will continue to be located.

Josue R. [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I'm beginning to think Googlers (and generally Google corp) enjoys announcing companies they have "acquired" just for the fun of it. Like its fun and what they've acquired is the Next-Big-Thing for the Web. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE all of Google's services but its getting sometimes a little to much annoying with these acquisitions with no explanations.

Hopefully next time they "acquire" another company, they can tell us something like:

"We've just acquired company XYZ. Our real reason for purchasing them is to integrate their awesome feature <insert_favorite_feature_name> to our Google service [Gmail, Checkout, Calendar, Analytics, etc] so our users will enjoy of this great feature. We want to make our services better so we think these guys have the "gravy" to our existing application. We hope to launch this feature soon. Hope you all will like it."

or ...

"We've just acquired company XYZ. Our real reason for purchasing them is because us Googlers love this product for ourselves and we want to own them."

Maybe then I understand their actions and will be more intrigued as to how Google envisions such acquired company to improve (this or that) particular Google service. Kinda like a heads up!

Oh Google, don't worry about my ranting, I'm still your best friend!

Colin Colehour [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Wow, Google's on a spending spree. I would love to spend over 3 billion dollars and then continue to spend more. :)

JohnMU [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I have a feeling this is primarily for internal use :-). I've never seen so many video conferencing systems in one place.

But you never know... first youtube video blogging then live video chats.

Jack [PersonRank 0]

17 years ago #

hope this will integrated into talk

Adam Dempsey [PersonRank 3]

17 years ago #

Yea I was wondering if it was purely for internal use or if its something they might integrate into Talk at some point.

raghu [PersonRank 1]

17 years ago #

Mark my word. This will be integrated into Google Apps standard/Pre edition. then only it's fun.:)

James Xuan [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I while back someone said google was aquiring something everymonth this year. Now they have moved on to aquiring 3 things a month.

Tony Ruscoe [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

>> hope this will integrated into talk

>> Yea I was wondering if it was purely for internal use or if its something they might integrate into Talk at some point.

When I read about this, I immediately thought about it being integrated into Google Talk. That would be a sensible move forward. They could then integrate Google Talk with Google Calendar to schedule video conferences.

James Xuan [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I had a dream that someone made an IM called ME.IE – my entertaining instant emailer, and it was being used by businesses all over the world. Then in another dream the next night. Actually it was wedensday and the first was monday. Anyway the next night in a totally unrelated dream the news said that they had launched c-me.ie (see me .ie) conferencing my entertaining instant emailer, a plugin so you could use a webcam. The thing is, I never have dreams like that; its as if my subconcious mind was telling me to make the product. But my subconcious mind must be stupid because apart from the mildly-amusing title it had all been done before.

Colin Colehour [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

With all of the new Google office's being opened across the world, this will probably be first integrated internally for Google Use only, then once Google has tweaked it and scaled the project it might get released to the public.

RenĂª Fraga [PersonRank 2]

17 years ago #

From Google Blog:

"Update: To clarify some confusion, we acquired Marratech's software, not the company itself."

Best Regards!
googlediscovery.com

[Signature URL unlinked – Tony]

Haochi [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

From the context, I think Google will not release the software to the public. (users like us)

<<which will enable from-the-desktop participation *for Googlers*>>

Colin Colehour [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Is anyone else confused by Google's official post on the matter?

They added this update:
"Update: To clarify some confusion, we acquired Marratech's software, not the company itself."

Ok, so they bought the software not the company. Does this mean that they own all of the source code for that software and its other Intellectual property related to it?

What doesn't make sense is this part of their post:
"We look forward to learning from the extraordinary ingenuity of Marratech's engineers as they focus on desktop conferencing research and development in Sweden, where they will continue to be located."

The above paragraph makes it seem like, Yes, Google bought the company but the company engineers will still be located in Sweden.

Ben Allen [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I want Video Confrencing for Talk...

Colin Colehour [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Clarification on what Google really purchased has been mentioned in an article on PC Advisor's website. Google purchased the software which we already knew about. Marratech is not allowed to market the software to any other company. Google also hired the engineers who created the software to continue work on it.

Interesting approach, You like software that a company created. So you buy it and hire all of the employees who created it. But you don't completely take over the main company that the engineers originally worked for. How often does something like this happen?

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=9081

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