Google seems committed to making local deals work. Their recent acquisition of The Dealmap, a local deal mapping company, has the potential to expand both the reach and technology of Google Offers.
The Dealmap Acquisition
As with many company acquisitions, the news of the purchase came from the purchased company rather than from Google. The Dealmap posted a message on their home page letting users know that the company was now owned by Google. A blog entry gave an extended explanation, and declared excitement for the future.
“We believe Google provides the ideal platform to help us accelerate our growth and fulfill our mission,” stated The Dealmap’s official entry on the subject. “We’re passionate about helping people save money while having great local experiences, and in Google we’ve found the perfect partner that shares this passion, as well as our vision and strategy.”
Neither Google nor The Dealmap disclosed details of the deal. When contacted for a statement on the purchase, Google indicated only that they were “impressed with what The Dealmap team has accomplished,” and that “we think they can help us build even better products and services for consumers and merchants.”
The Benefits of the Buy
The Dealmap certainly brings mapping technology to the table, and better yet, the map being used behind The Dealmap’s product is none other than Google Maps. This easy integration should make Google Offers implementation of The Dealmap’s tech fairly easy. But the technology and the team behind it are only part of what Google gets out of the deal.
Despite only being 15 months old, The Dealmap has an impressive reach. Beyond the two million users who are registered with the service, The Dealmap has developed a partner network that reaches 85 millions users each month. This reach will be an excellent platform for Google to continue promoting its local deals service. Additionally, while Google Offers is currently only available in Portland, New York City, and the Bay Area, The Dealmap’s network may help Google more rapidly expand into new regions.
[Sources include: The Dealmap & ZDNet]
