Google boosts analytics capabilities with Looker deal

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Google has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the data analytics platform Looker in $2.6bn all-cash transaction.

The deal is expected to closer later this year after receiving the necessary regulatory approvals at which time the company will become part of Google Cloud where it will provide its customers with a more comprehensive analytics solution.

The acquisition is in line with Google's recent multi-cloud plans which included the launch a rebranded google Cloud Services platform that works with AWS and Azure called Anthos.

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Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, who joined the company last November, explained how the acquisition would help boost Google Cloud's analytics capabilities, saying:

“Google Cloud is being used by many of the leading organizations in the world for analytics and decision-making. The combination of Google Cloud and Looker will enable customers to harness data in new ways to drive their digital transformation. We remain committed to our multi-cloud strategy and will retain and expand Looker’s capabilities to analyze data across Clouds.”

Big data analytics

Looker was founded back in 2011 and the company's platform helps organizations visualize and make sense of their data by tapping into a number of sources including AWS Redshift, Google BigQuery, Snowflake and MySQL.

The business intelligence and big data analytics company has raised almost $300 million since its creation and Alphabet's investment unit Capital G even led its series D funding back in 2017. Google and Looker's shared customers, investment connections and existing cloud partnership all help to make the deal a natural fit for both companies.

The deal is also Kurian's first cloud acquisition since he replaced Diane Green as CEO back in November. However, the Looker acquisition is just the latest in a recent series of cloud announcements from Google aimed at helping the company try to catch up with AWS in the cloud space.

The acquisition will give Google an advantage in the growing cloud analytics market while Looker will have the resources needed to help it scale. Looker CEO Frank Bien confirmed this, saying:

“Now, we’ll have greater reach, more resources, and the brightest minds in both analytics and cloud infrastructure working together to build an exciting path forward for our customers and partners.”

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Via VentureBeat

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