Twitter recently added search features to its site
Google close to buying Twitter?
/v3-uk/news/2004334/google-close-buying-twitter
03 Apr 2009, Dave Neal , V3
Reports on TechCrunch claim that Google is in advanced negotiations to acquire micro-blogging site Twitter.
Citing two separate sources, TechCrunch said that the asking price is more than the $250m (£170m) valuation that Twitter's recent round of funding would suggest.
A third source, however, recently added to the TechCrunch report, suggests that talks are only in the early stages.
Twitter has recently reworked its search feature, prompting many to think that this makes the firm more appealing to potential suitors. Search facilities have been added to the 'tweet' pages, and users can search tweets from this view. Twitter claims that the new additions were planned from the start.
Such features would have obvious benefits for marketing and advertising purposes.
"Twitter Search is an engine for discovering what is happening right now," said Twitter co-founder Biz Stone in a blog post.
Stone and co-founder Evan Williams have already sold Blogger.com to Google, and TechCrunch guesses that any deal would involve a straight cash or stock transaction.
Analyst firm Gartner said that a deal makes sense for both firms.
“The culture and ambitions of Twitter and Google match,” Gartner research vice president Jeff Mann noted. “Other tie-ins short of an acquisition could m ake sense, but would be harder to sustain since Twitter already uses such open interfaces. It will be hard to do something that others can't replicate.”
He added that Twitter should look for a buyer now as it is currently at “the top of its hype range” and would otherwise face a long and difficult process of trying to generate revenues as a standalone company.
However, other firms might also be interested in buying Twitter.
"Where's Microsoft in all this? Letting Twitter go to Google only hurts them, badly, in the long-term search game. This is an asset they need to be competing for aggressively," the report said.
Google declined to comment on the reports. In a statement the firm said, "We don't comment on rumour or speculation".
© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093
Do you agree?
Biz Should Take a Reasonable Offer
They say Biz Stone wants to hold company. He sounds like a 90's dot com phenom afraid to let his creation go. Those who are techies know that the Twitter program is easy and can be altered into another program or innovation. Many clones are in the works. Twitter is fun and easy to use, as is their code and functionality. Search companies and social engines are confused of this 140 character phenomenon to search. It reminds me of blogging and bookmarking in its early stages. It is almost as if everything innovated online has been on hold until they cool down. I for one love Twitter, although I foresee in the next months big portals and engines will have a Twitter like functionality for their audience to keep their audience retention. The hype and fires will be diminished with progress. Twitter should learn from the mistakes of other hot companies that went cold. Take a good offer or you will be left holding the bag. If this was a nano-technology company which created a way to save human organs. Totally different story.
Posted by Guias Local, 07 Apr 2009
Microsoft
Presumably, Microsoft is sleeping on it, just as they've done so many times in the past already.
Posted by Dan Taylor, 03 Apr 2009