Google’s great buy-up – Eric Schmidt says giant is buying one company every week

Google is buying more than one company a week, chairman Eric Schmidt admitted overnight at a web conference in France where the company is launching new offices.

Schmidt also addressed the ongoing competition between iOS and Android, saying the company has reached ahead of Apple with more units, vendors and lower prices.

Speaking at the LeWeb conference, Schmidt joked that the company was buying around one company a day. But according to TechCrunch, confirmation backstage later revealed it’s roughly around one company every week.

When queried why Google never broadcasts most of these, Schmidt replied: “We don’t have to”.

The announcement comes during a particularly aggressive time for Google. Although it has been pairing down its product line and slashing several that don’t work under the direction of new chief Larry Page, it’s still focused on acquiring companies it believes line up with its strategic vision.

In fact, in October Google revealed that it had spent $US1.4 billion on 57 separate acquisitions, equalling out to an average price of about $25 million.

This year it also bought restaurant review service Zagat, advertising group AdMeld and Canadian service provider PushLife. Many of its acquisitions are start-ups and thus have a lower price point.

Also at the LeWeb conference, Schmidt made a number of comments regarding iPhone and Android. He said he believes Android will win out against the iOS platform due to the sheer number of handsets being shipped.

“Ultimately, application vendors are driven by volume, and volume is favoured by the open approach Google is taking. There are so many manufacturers working to deliver Android phones globally,” Schmidt said.

“Whether you like Android or not, you will support that platform, and maybe you’ll even deliver it first.”

Schmidt also combated criticism that Android had copied iOS, saying that “Android was founded before the iPhone was”.

With regard to the future of Google, Schmidt squarely positioned the company as dependent on mobile, saying all new apps are going to be “some combination of social, mobile and local”.

“Social, local, mobile has been true for humans for at least 10,000 years, so I don’t think it’s going to go away any time soon.”

Schmidt opened offices in France this week, meeting French president Nicolas Sarkozy as part of the celebrations.