Tuesday, May 10, 2011

YouTube Founders Acquire Web Analytics Firm

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/09/youtube-founders-acquire-web-analytics-firm/?nl=business&emc=dlbka22

Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, the co-founders of YouTube, are on a shopping spree.
In late April, the pair announced plans to purchase Delicious, the online social bookmarking service, from Yahoo, saving it from  closure.

Now, they’re adding another company to the mix. On Monday, they announced plans to purchase Tap11, an analytics firm that tracks social media.

Mr. Hurley said in a statement that the acquisition was another move toward the pair’s ultimate plan to “create the world’s best platform for users to save, share, and discover new content.”

Tap11 helps businesses understand what is being said about their companies on social media Web sites like as Twitter and Facebook. The purchase of Tap11 will allow the company to provide “powerful tools to publish and analyze their links’ impact in real-time.”

The price of the sale and other financial terms were not disclosed. Both companies will roll into Mr. Hurley and Mr. Chen’s newest venture, AVOS.

The news of Mr. Hurley and Mr. Chen’s purchasing plans has prompted tremendous interest in the tech world. The two men, who started YouTube in 2005, and sold it to Google a year later for a staggering $1.76 billion, have said they plan to keep Delicious, which allows people to make lists deals, of interesting Web sites and share them with friends, intact.

However, the Tap11 news suggests they have a bigger plan in mind to change the way people share content on the Web.