Google’s latest purchase is Apture, a startup that focuses on providing instant access to information with in-page search technology.
Also self-defined as a “glossary for the web,” Apture’s features include boosting 2D websites into enhanced multimedia experiences in which readers better find related information as the text literally jumps off the page. This contextual search function was designed to increase revenue opportunities for publishers, including such customers as The New York Times and The Financial Times.
For example, you might have noticed some of this technology when reading The NYT’s website, and you might have double-clicked and/or highlighted a word, which then brings up a definition or query.
The beneficiary of the purchase will be Chrome, so we can possibly expect to see some major changes related to this technology in the coming months.
Financial details of the merger as well as an expected date on when the deal will close have not been revealed yet, but there was a note posted on the front door of Apture. Here’s an excerpt:
After enhancing more than a billion pages with our products, we think now is the best time to expand our efforts with another team just down the road that shares our vision of making the web better. :) That’s right — we’ve been acquired by Google and will be joining the Chrome team to continue driving innovation and creating a better user experience on the web. The modern web is an amazing platform, so stay tuned for even more enhancements to your Chrome browsing experience.
As the memo states, Apture’s staff will be joining the Chrome team, but it still isn’t clear whether or not the group will stay put at Apture’s San Francisco office or move down to the Mountain View headquarters.
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