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Google Wants Twitter Deal, Not Purchase

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 3, 2009 6:37 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Google is aiming to team up with the micro-blogging sensation Twitter, not buy it, Dow Jones Newswire reports. A source close to the talks says Google wants to strike up an AdSense partnership to enable Twitter to show Google ads and profit from them. The benefit for Google: less chance of Twitter emerging as an independent competitor or being snatched up by the likes of Microsoft.

This "could change at any time, of course," Kara Swisher writes on All Things Digital. "Google or anyone else could plunk down more than $1 billion in cash, and I cannot imagine Twitter’s investors would or could resist. Nor should they. And what if, for example, Microsoft offered some huge cash payday for Twitter? In that case, I am certain Google would jump into the faceoff, backing up a giant Brinks trunk to the door of Twitter’s San Francisco offices."

Twitter co-founder and CEO Evan Williams (L) and co-founder Biz Stone attend a meeting with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at Twitter headquarters March 10, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif.
Twitter co-founder and CEO Evan Williams (L) and co-founder Biz Stone attend a meeting with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at Twitter headquarters March 10, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif.   (Getty Images)
Google co-founder Larry Page delivers a keynote address at the International Consumer Electronics Show January 6, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Google co-founder Larry Page delivers a keynote address at the International Consumer Electronics Show January 6, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada.   (Getty Images)
Co-founder of Google Larry Page smiles during the Clinton Global Inititative annual meeting September 27, 2007 in New York.
Co-founder of Google Larry Page smiles during the Clinton Global Inititative annual meeting September 27, 2007 in New York.   (Getty Images)
In this Sept. 2, 2008 file photo shows Google co-founders Sergey Brin, left, and Larry Page, right, during a news conference at Google Inc. headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
In this Sept. 2, 2008 file photo shows Google co-founders Sergey Brin, left, and Larry Page, right, during a news conference at Google Inc. headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
In this photo provided by HTC, Google founders Larry Page, left, and Sergey Brin, help introduce the new T-Mobile G1 phone by Google, which is manufactured by Taiwan-based HTC, Tuesday, Sept., 23, 2008, in New York.
In this photo provided by HTC, Google founders Larry Page, left, and Sergey Brin, help introduce the new T-Mobile G1 phone by Google, which is manufactured by Taiwan-based HTC, Tuesday, Sept., 23, 2008,...   (AP Photo/HTC, Stuart Ramson)
This photo provided by Image Box Inc. shows Google co-founder Sergey Brin, center, as he trains in zero gravity in airspace above northern California, Feb. 2, 2008.
This photo provided by Image Box Inc. shows Google co-founder Sergey Brin, center, as he trains in zero gravity in airspace above northern California, Feb. 2, 2008.   (AP Photo/ Image Box Inc., Steve Boxall)
Rental site, RentWiki.com, Integrates With Twitter to Give Renters Access to What Locals Are Saying and Conversations Happening Around Neighborhoods.
Rental site, RentWiki.com, Integrates With Twitter to Give Renters Access to What Locals Are Saying and Conversations Happening Around Neighborhoods.   (PRNewsFoto/RentWiki.com)
In this photo illustration the Social networking site Twitter is displayed on a mobile phone on March 25, 2009 in London, England.
In this photo illustration the Social networking site Twitter is displayed on a mobile phone on March 25, 2009 in London, England.   (Getty Images)
Twitter co-founder and CEO Evan Williams attends a meeting with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at Twitter headquarters March 10, 2009 in San Francisco, California.
Twitter co-founder and CEO Evan Williams attends a meeting with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at Twitter headquarters March 10, 2009 in San Francisco, California.   (Getty Images)
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