THE TELEGRAPH: Google has agreed to acquire ITA, a flight information software company for $700 million in cash, in a bid to enter the lucrative digital travel market.
The search giant is hoping that the cash acquisition, the fourth largest in its history, will allow it to create bespoke search tools focused on travel. ITA, which has been in existence for 14 years, aggregates and organises information it gathers from travel agents and airlines, including flight times, ticket prices and availability.
However, the deal needs approval by the US competition authorities, as the acquisition would bring together the world’s largest search engine with one of the biggest pieces of travel search software. >>> Emma Barnett, Technology and Digital Media Correspondent | Friday, July 02, 2010
