Google is undisputedly the king of smartphone arena and tech world today. And, a larger share of this accomplishment goes to its clever and well-executed acquisitions.
Here are the top 5 most expensive yet clever acquisitions by Google:
Nest Labs
Nest Labs is a home automation producer of programmable, self-learning, sensor-driven, Wi-Fi-enabled thermostats, smoke detectors, security cameras, and other security systems. It introduced the Nest Learning Thermostat in 2011 as its first product.
Cost: £3.2 billion
Year: 2014
DoubleClick
DoubleClick is a subsidiary of Google which develops and provides Internet ad serving services. Google hired it to make its ad-service even more futile and productive.
Cost: $3.1 billion
Year: 2007
YouTube
Perhaps the biggest video-content blog turned website, YouTube is an American video-sharing website headquartered in San Bruno, California. The service was created by three former PayPal employees—Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim—in February 2005. Later it was acquired and till date run by Google and it is indeed along with being an expensive one, also the most important acquisition till date.
Cost: $1.65 billion
Year: 2006
Skybox Imaging
Skybox is a constellation of sub-meter resolution Earth observation satellites owned by Planet Labs, providing imagery, high-definition video and analytics services. Google uses it to make its GPS and maps more accurate and productive.
Cost: $500 million
Year: 2014
Android
Perhaps the biggest and most advanced mobile operating system in the universe which now Google administers and develops. The Linux based OS was acquired by Google more than a decade back and perhaps this is one acquisition that has single-handedly revolutionized the entire mobile industry forever.
Cost: $130 million
Year: 2005
