Google, the world"s largest search engine and collector of personal data, may have just acquired Groupon for 2.5 billion dollars. Groupon, for those who are not familiar with the company, is a deal-per-day website that is localized to individual markets. A deal is offered and if enough people sign up for the deal, then it becomes available to all. If not, the deal dies and no one is able to cash in on the savings.
If Google did buy Groupon, it would help them expand their advertising network. Google makes the vast portion of its earnings from its advertising and adding Groupon would allow them to access local markets more effectively. If Google did buy Groupon, it would add substantial area for growth for both companies.
It is currently estimated that Groupon is pulling in $50 million dollars a month, and with Google"s resources, profits could explode with additional local markets being added, according to Vator.tv. Neither Google nor Groupon has commented on the purchase, but a well placed insider is saying that the deal is nearly done.