Google is buying a company that specialises in social media marketing as it intensifies competition with Facebook for ad dollars and attention.
The company, Redwood City, California-based Wildfire, helps businesses such as Cirque du Soleil and Spotify manage social media efforts across the internet.
Wildfire was founded by Kiwi expat Victoria Ransom in 2008. It currently has nearly 400 employees and 16,000 clients.
It's an important area for Google as people spend more time on social networks such as Facebook and as advertisers follow them. Google's social network, Google Plus, hasn't had the traction that Facebook enjoys. Wildfire will let Google play a role whether the ad campaign is on Google Plus, Facebook, Twitter or elsewhere.
Wildfire's co-founders and other staff will join Google. The deal's financial details were not disclosed, but a figure of $307 million has been reported.
In recent months, Oracle and Salesforce.com also have reached deals to buy similar startups.
AP / 3 News