Critics, however, don't buy the idea that the somewhat antiquated Zagat can substitute for Yelp -- the more modern review services, which Google
has tried to buy for about half a billion dollars. "If you were losing to Wikipedia would your next move be to buy Encyclopedia Britannica?" an unnamed Silicon Valley CEO asks TechCrunch.
"Nevertheless, it's a smart move for Google," in TechCrunch's opinion. "It needed to beef up its local reviews and ratings, and that's exactly what Zagat lets it do."