Google's First-Quarter Acquisitions Approach $300 Million

Google GOOG has spent nearly $300 million on assets and acquisitions in the first quarter. According to Bloomberg, the total expenditures came to $291 million. Roughly half of that money went to patents and developed technology; an additional $125 million was used to acquire Channel Intelligence Inc., which created valuable online marketing tools for retailers. Google is believed to be making these acquisitions in an attempt to diversify beyond the company's core businesses, which include the Google.com search engine. Previously, Google has spent billions of dollars acquiring firms that bolster the search side of the business, which has led to an increase in ad revenue. For example, Google paid $1.65 billion to acquire YouTube in October 2006. At the time that may have seemed like a steep price for the company, which was merely a rising star in the growing world of online video. Today YouTube has become the world's largest online video site. Last year Google finalized its plans to purchase Motorola Mobility for $13 billion. The acquisition came as a surprise to the tech industry, which did not expect Google to buy an electronics manufacturer. While Google has said that it does not plan to conduct its own manufacturing, the company may be warming up to the idea now that the Nexus line of devices (which is currently produced by third-party manufacturers) is gaining in popularity. Google's M&A strategy has been significantly different from the strategies employed by Apple AAPL and Samsung, which tend to acquire smaller firms with the goal of utilizing a particular technology. Amazon AMZN seems to be taking a similar route. In that regard, Google has the most in common with Microsoft MSFT. The Windows maker has not shied away from big acquisitions. Two years ago Microsoft paid more than $8 billion to acquire Skype. The company has been rumored to acquire Nokia NOK for more than two years. In January, Dell DELL was added to the list of potential acquisitions. Louis Bedigian is the Senior Tech Analyst and Features Writer of Benzinga. You can reach him at 248-636-1322 or louis(at)benzingapro(dot)com. Follow him @LouisBedigianBZ