The Year in Google

Sep 21, 2011 by

Google had a lot at stake earlier today when the company’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt testified before the U.S. Senate subcommittee on anti-trust. Google veritably rules in the search market, but is facing mounting pressure in matters of politics and regulation. Any company as massive and all encompassing as Google inevitably runs afoul of political scrutiny, and Google has elegantly dealt with challenges in the past centered on data privacy, intellectual property, and getting the required approval for acquisitions in a timely manner.

Speaking of acquisitions, Google has been very busy in 2011, lapping up other companies like a dog laps gravy.  There have been so many, indeed, that one creative analyst has put together an infographic that spans the entire year in Google acquisitions and gives us a brief summary of courtroom drama and resolutions.  To view the image, just click and it will expand to its complete size.  What’s next for Google?  We hesitate to venture a guess, but perhaps the data below might reveal a few portents of things to come.