Google finished off 2010 with the long-awaited launch of its e-book marketplace, “Google eBookstore”. Beyond Google’s already 6 million strong library of titles, its device-agnostic approach was seen by many in the industry as a threat to other, more solidified players in the industry, such as Amazon and its Kindle e-reader. Now, it looks like Google may be working to further its support of multiple devices with the acquisition of eBook Technologies.
TechCrunch broke the story earlier today, saying that Google confirmed the acquisition. Google offer the following statement: “We are happy to welcome eBook Technologies’ team to Google. Together, we hope to deliver richer reading experiences on tablets, electronic readers and other portable devices.”
The statement echoes the one on the company’s homepage, which announces the acquisition and says that “Working together with Google will further our commitment to providing a first-class reading experience on emerging tablets, e-readers and other portable devices.”
Google supports a number of devices, from Android and iOS smartphones to any e-book reader that supports the Adobe e-book platform to any device with a Javascript-enabled browser. As the Consumer Electronics Show pointed out to everyone paying attention last week, though, there is an onslaught of tablets, superphones and other mobile devices on the horizon. Could this acquisition have to do with this explosion of devices? Or, as TechCrunch’s Jason Kincaid suggests, could it have to do with the “distribution technology” referred to on the company’s site?
A key feature of the eBook platform and, a breakthrough for both avid readers and professional customers, is the ability to purchase and/or access reading materials anywhere and at any time. Instantaneous access to content is enabled through a built-in modem, USB, or Ethernet connection on the eBook device. Once connected to the ETI eBook Network via the Internet, customers can browse, select, access and optionally purchase eBook content from an eBookstore.
We reached out to Google for comment on the situation, asking how the slew of new devices changes Google’s plans for approaching e-books, but received the same comment. Got a better guess?
