Google are seriously ramping up their office game and further evidence of that has been seen recently with the acquisition of the wiki based JotSpot. This business oriented service is a one-stop shop for all business needs and has the ability to plug software and application gaps which companies and office in particular struggle with. This has come as something as a surprise because recently we learned that Yahoo were front runners to buy up this piece of kit, yet it would appear that Google stepped in at the last minute and took the deal from under their nose, I have no doubt that Google will make a much better fist of this than Yahoo perhaps could have.
Reasons
The big question on most people’s lips is why would Google do this? After all when it comes to the large majority of the features of JotSpot, Google already has their own versions of them. Now on the one hand this may be Google making a pre-emptive strike against Yahoo and securing this service before they are able to, and whilst I wouldn’t put that past Google this just doesn’t smell like that kind of acquisition.
Far more realistic is the idea that Google have taken on this company so that they have a ready made team who understands applications and project management. This could mean that Google utilize the team and the infrastructure which JotSpot has to quickly get things rolled out and to spot any gaps in the market which it may perceive to be valuable, and viable. My thinking here is that Google are looking to create a full project management suite and the work which JotSpot have already done put them in the perfect place to lend a hand.
Celebrated
It comes as little surprise to anyone in the industry that JotSpot would be snapped up, after all it is widely regarded as one of the most successful of the 2.0 (grrrrrr) companies and it is both well established and very secure. The company has never had an issue raising funds and it is clear that many within the angel investment community have been more than happy to support this service, they will no doubt have seen a healthy kickback now as a result of their faith.
What Google Need to do
This is the beauty of this acquisition and also what makes the lack of competition rather confusing, Google simply need to integrate this smoothly into their operations and once that is done, which won’t be difficult given the good health of JotSpot, Google will be well placed for whatever web collaboration battle may be on the horizon, and we know full well that this is a war which is certainly on its way.
Another smart, under-the-radar purchase from Google which ensures that their hand and their brand remains strong, and prepared for whatever may come its way.
