On2

Google’s 42nd Acquisition of the Year: Widevine

John Paczkowski in News on December 3, 2010 at 3:00 pm PT

Back in January, Google CEO Eric Schmidt predicted the company would make one acquisition a month. Now with the year nearly finished, the company has made 41, including Phonetic Arts, announced today–more than half of significant size. And Google’s clearly not through yet. The company just announced the acqusition of video optimization outfit Widevine for an undisclosed price.

Google's 2010 M&A Bill: $1.6 Billion and Counting

Peter Kafka in Media on October 29, 2010 at 2:25 pm PT

Google has spent at least $1.6 billion buying 40 companies during the first nine months of 2010. If you assume the previously announced ITA deal goes through this year, you can tack on another $700 million.

Google Open Sources VP8 Video Codec. Will Apple, Microsoft and Intel Use It?

John Paczkowski in News on May 19, 2010 at 10:36 am PT

Google’s plan to open-source the VP8 video codec has been rumored ever since the company acquired its developer, On2, in August 2009. After all, in the press release detailing the acquisition, Google clearly stated that “video compression technology should be a part of the Web platform.” So it’s no surprise that the company announced an open-source, royalty-free video format based on VP8 at its I/O conference Wednesday. What is surprising is the level of industry support Google has already rounded up for it.

Sold! On2 Shareholders Agree to Get Googled, Finally. [UPDATE]

Peter Kafka in Media on February 17, 2010 at 3:09 pm PT

It took an awfully long time, and a $26 million sweetener. But the people who own On2 have finally allowed Google to buy the video compression company. Google has also picked up a small email start-up, reMail, with much less drama.

Will the Feds Slow Google’s Shopping Spree? Regulators Take a Closer Look at AdMob.

Peter Kafka in Media on December 23, 2009 at 1:29 pm PT

It took Google more than a year to get the go-ahead for its DoubleClick deal, much to Microsoft’s delight. Will the search giant see a repeat with its plans to dump $750 million on a mobile ad company?

On2 to Shareholders: Take the Google Stock, You Morons

John Paczkowski in News on December 7, 2009 at 8:18 am PT

On2 shareholders outraged over the company’s pending acquisition by Google will soon have a chance to sack the deal. At a special meeting on Dec. 18, the 60-cents-per-share offer will be put to a vote that’s likely to prove quite contentious, thanks to a cadre of On2 shareholders who believe it doesn’t reflect fair market value.