Google Buys SketchUp

Search giant Google Wednesday continued its acquisition streak with the purchase of start-up @Last Software, a firm that produces the 3D rendering product SketchUp. The purchase came just one week after Google acquired Writery, a Web-based word processor--a move widely interpreted as positioning the company to challenge Microsoft, which dominates the space with its MSOffice product.

According to the company blog--authored by @Last Software founder Brad Schell--the company caught Google's fancy when it was developing a plugin for Google Earth, which allows land and cityscapes to be rendered in 3D. Schell attempted to reassure visitors to the blog that its service wouldn't deteriorate under its new owners. "I can't stress this enough: the 3D world just got a huge boost, so please don't worry about SketchUp or our mission," he wrote. "Think about it this way: we haven't traded in the Honda for a Porsche; we've strapped a rocket to the Honda."

According to Kelsey Group Analyst Greg Sterling, this move may well also be a strategic one against Microsoft. "SketchUp may in fact become Google's answer to Windows Live Local's Birds Eye photography," he wrote on his blog. "When you get rich 3D mapping up and running on the Internet there are all kinds of use cases and ad opportunities. Think about real estate or hotels/travel as two immediate examples that come to mind."

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