Google Is Buying the World’s Most Boring (but Useful) Startup

You know how sometimes when you Google a store , you get a drink down - out sidebar containing information about products that computer storage presently has in stock ? Well , in a mess annunciate today , Google has agreed to purchase the startup responsible for for making those sidebars potential .

The name of the inauguration is Pointy , and in anagreement reportedly worth $ 160 million , Google ’s attainment of the Ireland - free-base company should allow it to better compete with on-line retail giants like Walmart and Amazon without postulate to facilitate sales directly or keep its own stocktaking of products .

In aGoogle blog posted today , Google ’s theater director for small- and average - sized business sector intersection , Peter Chane , praised Pointy for aid “ thousands of local retailers bring their product inventorying online . ” likewise , in a post on its website , Pointy founders Mark Cummins and Charles Bibby allege they are look forward to “ help oneself the great unwashed discover local depot and merchandise on a much large scale . ”

Image: (Pointy)

The way Pointy works is that local retailers can utilize a barcode scanner accessory or an app made by Pointy , which desegregate into a store ’s sales event system , that reserve Google to track products and surface that information to users searching for related product . This is how Google populates what come along in the “ See what ’s in store sidebar , ” which Google and Pointy claim has allowed a great number of local shops across the U.S. and Ireland to achieve greater search visibility .

While there is n’t an prescribed timeline for when the passel while be finalized , Google say it expect the acquisition to be fill out sometime in the “ coming weeks . ” Meanwhile , for the mean substance abuser , Google search results will probably continue to look the same as before — but down the road , you’re able to expect to see more results pop up in the “ See what ’s in memory ” for various online retailers , both big and small .

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