Google's cash-splash

19/02/10 posted by Liz Niland

Tripping across cyberspace on a delightful spending spree, Google have followed up their controversial Buzz launch with yet another acquisition coupled with a cash-splash on Wikipedia. 

Google’s acquisition of iPhone app reMail was, according to Mashable, “entirely a talent acquisition”, with the actual app set to be discontinued and reMail’s founder/CEO - Gabor Cselle - preparing to take on a role as a Gmail product manager.

While the cash exchange for the deal was not disclosed, Google hasn’t been as tight-lipped with their $2 million donation to the organisation that runs Wikipedia - the Wikimedia Foundation. 

If you’ve used Wikimedia in the past few months, you probably would have seen the site’s desperate pleas for donations strung across its pages. From those ads and, undoubtedly, through other methods as well, the foundation has raised a sweet $8 million. So, as reported by the Guardian, Google’s donation “comes as the icing on the cake”. 



But in times of lingering economic struggle, and challenges faced by those in disaster areas like Haiti, what made Wikipedia win Google’s affections? Well, don’t think they’ve just given something for absolutely nothing. By helping to keep Wikipedia afloat, Google are benefiting by making sure internet users keep clicking through to them first for search. Need to find out the population of Russia? There’s a pretty good chance you’ll plug that query into Google with the hope of finding Russia’s place in the very search-engine-friendly Wikipedia. Both websites benefit from your clicks and you get the information you need.

In the official press release from the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales commented that the donation recognised the strong bond between the two online stalwarts. "Both organizations are committed to bringing high quality information to hundreds of millions of individuals every day, and to making the Internet better for everyone."


And we have to say, even from a mere web design perspective, we like that the sad Wikipedia begging banners have been torn down for now.