Google signed off on its deal this week to buy destination guidebook and web content provider Frommer’s, but has yet to outline what it intends to do with its latest purchase in travel.
Mystery still surrounds the price the search giant has paid for the US-based Frommer’s, but it is thought to be in the region of $20 million to ÂŁ27 million, according to various media reports and insiders.
It is also unclear as to precisely how many existing Frommer’s employees are being retained, with some leaving from the print production wing of the company and many in its digital business.
Google is not faced with any regulatory hurdles with the acquisition (unlike the 10 months or so it had to sit around waiting until the US Department of Justice gave it pretty much a thumbs-up on the deal to buy ITA Software), so many will now be waiting anxiously/curiously/optimistically (take your pick) about what it intends to do next.
But with the deal officially closed, just three weeks after news of the acquisition was made public and the traditional summer product development lull over, some are predicting a quick integration of existing digital content into Google Places pages.
As previously mentioned, however, the longer term job will be getting the more up-to-date travel material (kept, somewhat ironically, until now in the printed guidebooks Frommer’s produces) into a digital format and streamed into the increasingly prominent Places pages.
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I’m not sure that there’s anything ironic about Frommer’s printed guidebooks being more up-to-date than the company’s Web site. After all, the guidebooks are the core products (and the ones that travelers are paying for).
One question that hasn’t been answered is how Frommer’s content will be updated under the Google regime, and on what schedule.
From a business perspective it might make sense to have your paid products updated more frequenlty, but from an online perspective it doesn’t. Online information needs to be constantly updated and there is less understanding from a customer if your online content is out-of-date than your printed. After all, print cycles for guide books typiclaly ranges from 6 months to 2 years. Also, Frommer’s license their online content to travel businesses (such KLM, Air New Zealand, etc.) and I am very suprised that these would accept lower updating frequency.
It is also interesting to see what Google does with the Frommer’s licensing business. After all Google are seen as one of the future key competitors for most travel operators.
” After all Google are seen as one of the future key competitors for most travel operators.”
On the other hand, “cooptition” (cooperating with one’s competitors for mutual benefit) has a long tradition. Case in point: Apple and Samsung battling each other in the smartphone market and in the courtroom while Apple relies on Samsung for billions of dollars’ worth of iPhone parts. For that matter, airline alliances are good examples of competitors working together when it suits them to do so.
The next Google acquisition could be a hotel site and they are ready to launch a travel monster. It’s amazing the power they have to become a huge competitor of their own clients without loosing any of them. I wonder how far the will go and what sector they will aim at next, restaurants and local businesses through google local perhaps?
@claus – why would it buy a hotel site when it already has Google Hotel Finder?
and Zagat for restaurants…combining reviews with potential to book. And when do restaurants have to pay to be in Zagat?