Google buys Zingku - mobile social networking company

Shopping to strengthen the gPhone OS?

28 September 2007 12:45 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Google has bought Zingku, a company that offers mobile social networking.

Confirming the purchase with a brief statement, the online company stated that Zingku's assets can "help build products and features that will benefit our users, advertisers and publishers".

This acquisition will help fuel the speculation about the Google mobile phone, or gPhone, thought to be coming to market in 2008.

Zingku's services, as described by the company: "Things you wish to promote or share can easily be created and fetched via mobile, instant messenger, and web browser".

"Our service integrates your mobile phone with a personalized web site so that you can easily move (zing) things back and forth between the web and and your mobile as well as powerfully connect with friends and optionally their friends."

In theory, the Zingku way of working could potentially help to amalgamate Google's instant messaging and email with a Google-created mobile phone operating system.

Alternatively, and ignoring the gPhone rumours, it may be a purchase to strengthen Google's "Orkut" social groups offering.