Google shopping. For $ 3.2 billion. buy a company governed by the ... - Gazeta Wyborcza

Google confirmed – will put up $ 3.2 billion. in cash for the purchase of the company Nest Labs, valued at $ 2 billion. Google has what to buy, because the company announced that the end of September was 53 billion dollars. “Cash”.

new patron, same brand

Nest Labs will continue to produce under its own brand domestic appliances . The company has existed only since 2010, the portfolio has two ready-made and made to sell products, but since the beginning of the investors appreciate its potential. She was given two injections of cash to a decent start – in 2011 (80 million.) And 2012 (150 million dollars.). On the part of both of these amounts consisted of money Google lined by its investment arm Google Ventures.

Why?

Why would a company like Google this kind of new purchase? Both presidents are trying to make a courtesy flattery. Larry Page of Google said he was “excited to welcome Nest Google family.” Tony Fadell of Nest spoke of the “joy” accompanying joining Google. But did not provide specific reasons.

And these may be few. First – patents. Nest is their more than 100, as many are pending approval. In addition, some Industry analysts say that this was in part the purchase ahead – we better buy them before your competition.

Purchase fits into the vision of the Page, which would make Google the company to facilitate people living in ordinary cases, actively entering the industry “internet of things” (internet of things). Google is unsurpassed in some aspects, particularly in software development. But with the creation of the equipment is worse. For example, he bought Android, then made him a system that has dominated most of the global market for mobile devices. But to make a phone, Google gave more than $ 12 billion. Motorola Mobility to purchase the entire inventory (and several thousand patents).

Series smartphones and tablets with the Nexus series, in turn, created in collaboration with external manufacturers, such as Samsung or HTC.

Achilles heel

What’s more, as the Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie Securities in an interview with “Bloomberg”, Google Thus, another patch its weakness. – The company has done a very good job in the technology industry, including Android and browser. But their design has always been poor – he explained.

And here comes the Nest Labs. Its founders are Matt Rogers and Tony Fadell, both worked at Apple. Rogers was the first design team composed of the iPhone. Fadell was a deputy division iPods, is recognized even by his “father”. He worked closely with Steve Jobs on the iPhone. He left, as he said, “for personal reasons”. Nest attracts former employees of Cupertino. According to Bloomberg, the entire company has about 300 people, of whom 97 worked at Apple.

Thermostat for 249 dollars.

And what about the portfolio companies? It offers two outfits. Since 2011, sells thermostats, which is a device for controlling the temperature in the room, and from 2013 fire alarms. From the fact that both these devices are like “iPhones” in their fields.

Thermostat costs 249 dollars. Competitive devices can be purchased for tens of dollars. Why so much? Because from a distance it smells of Apple’s design. In addition, it is packed with electronics. “Learns” your favorite temperature of client data times of the day, saves energy, no wi-fi, so you can control it a smartphone or tablet.

With the fire alarm thing looks like. The price is 129 dollars., While “normal” you can buy for a few dollars. Here, too, the price of the unusual design and multitude of features. Nest hit a sensitive note customers. Alarms are sometimes annoying because, they can yell very loudly if someone in the house burnt toast. Therefore, the device Nest, when something “feels” first “warned” – lights up a different color and informs the human voice, what is happening and how to trap the smoke. It was only later begins to howl.