THE DEAL: Google Inc. buys Dealmap, a 15-month-old startup that compiles discount offers from local merchants scattered in markets across the nation.
THE PROSPECTS: Google is trying to become a bigger player in the rapidly growing specialty of distributing daily bargains from local merchants. Groupon and LivingSocial have emerged as early leaders. Google looms as a promising rival because it owns the Internet’s most popular search engine and most lucrative ad network.
THE DETAILS: Dealmap, which is based in Menlo Park, Calif., has built a database that lists deals from more than 450 different sources.
