Google buys videoconferencing software

Google has acquired videoconferencing technology from Swedish company Marratech.

The web giant announced the move on Friday on its official blog. The blog stated that the acquisition would "enable from-the-desktop participation for Googlers [an internal term for Google employees] in videoconference meetings wherever there's an internet connection".

"We look forward to learning from the extraordinary ingenuity of Marratech's engineers as they focus on desktop conferencing research and development in Sweden, where they will continue to be located," the blog post continued.

Kay Oberbeck, head of Google's corporate communications in Northern Europe, confirmed to ZDNet UK on Monday that Google had bought the "technology for the videoconferencing as well as the staff who are working on it", but not Marratech itself or any shares in the company.

Oberbeck also said the technology was only to be used internally at Google, but he refused to rule out a future role for the software in a consumer or business application. He would also not be drawn on the accuracy of early reports that said Google had paid Marratech $14.5m (£7.25m) for the technology and workers.