Google has taken steps to make its mark in the Travel Industry by partnering up with online travel guide and community, Ruba. It was incorrectly reported last week that Google had actually acquired the company. It was later reported by TechCrunch that rather than acquiring the company, Google has entered into a partnership with Ruba to work on iGoogle and other Google projects.
Ruba is a visual browsing device which allows users to travel through cities and their attractions around the world. The aim of Ruba is to ultimately improve the online travel research experience by creating a unique visual travel site.
This new partnership solidifies Google’s recent attempts to enter the travel industry. This move closely follows on from the recent Google Maps changes, integrating hotel links and room rates into the maps function, and the rumoured discussions to purchase fare shopping software company ITA.
The partnership between Google and Ruba began Monday the 24th, which Ruba announced on their website in a letter to their “friends, fans, and Ruba community members”. The letter includes information as to the company’s physical movements into the Google Headquarters and a brief description of the project which they have been working on for the past 15 months.
It looks like Google is determined to make its mark on the Travel Industry, and if this latest partnership is anything to judge by, Google will stop at nothing in order to successfully do this.
