
Google explores sale of Zagat - perseusprime11
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-zagat/alphabets-google-explores-sale-of-restaurant-reviewer-zagat-sources-idUSKBN1ES1RZ
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adventured
Their diversion into products like Zagat, is a huge invition to anti-trust
scrutiny, while providing barely any business benefit versus their core.

They made the same mistake most platform tech monopolies do, they started
eating the ecosystem they were providing food for. Microsoft did the same
thing, aggressively, for 10-15 years, during the peak of the Windows will rule
the world era. Their behavior on that front only slowed down once the
seriousness of the anti-trust actions became clear.

Google will likely begin moving about the landscape much more carefully,
ditching small businesses that make them look particularly bad as a monopoly,
due to the anti-trust hammers being swung around that are trying to land on
them.

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tyingq
This article does a good job of outlining the dance they are doing in the
travel space:[https://skift.com/2016/11/01/googles-travel-business-is-
alre...](https://skift.com/2016/11/01/googles-travel-business-is-already-
twice-the-size-of-expedias/)

Doesn't mention ITA, though, one of their larger acquisitions in travel.

~~~
touristtam
Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. Follow up article about ITA at google:
[https://skift.com/2017/11/01/google-to-retire-ita-
software-f...](https://skift.com/2017/11/01/google-to-retire-ita-software-
flight-search-engine-for-small-companies/)

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exolymph
TIL that Google owns Zagat

