10 Notable Google Acquisitions
By: Chris Morris, Special to CNBC.com
Source: Blogger.com
Blogger.com
Pyra Labs (2003) – While Pyra Labs may not be a familiar name, its Blogger service was a big part of the reason Weblogs exploded onto the Web. Launched in 1999, it almost shut down in late 2000 as the dot-com bubble burst — but rode out the storm by operating out of the home of co-founder Evan Williams. As the online economy began to pick up, Pyra Labs operated with a skeleton staff of six people, but its easy to use tools gave everyone who had the urge to create an outlet for their thoughts the opportunity. Once Google bought the company, Blogger saw its user base grow into the millions. Email us at SmallBiz@cnbc.com and follow us on Twitter @SmallBizCNBC.
While it's the big deals, like the company's 2007 purchase of DoubleClick or last year's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility, that grab the most headlines, Google also has a history of bringing small businesses and startups into the fold, many of which have gone on to help build some of its most notable features.