Of the many forays Google has ventured out into, its latest has caused some noticeable buzz in the Boston area. Finalized plans to expand the Google Cambridge site were unveiled earlier this month.
The expansion will bring together Google Cambridge and ITA Software to make one campus. Google acquired ITA Software, an airline-organizing company based in Cambridge last year because of the potential Google saw in the two companies merging.
Not only will the extra office space from the combination increase Google’s leeway for growth, there will undoubtedly be outsized room to continue growing. ITA Software, headquartered on Portland Street, will soon join its sibling company in Cambridge Center, creating a unified site.
One of the company’s core missions is “having everyone together in one campus; Google has always been about collaboration,” according to Google Spokesman Jordan Newman.
Over time, Cambridge has become a hot spot in the technology industry. Recently, tech companies have been vying for space in Kendall Square; Microsoft Corp., Staples Inc., and Amazon.com have all devised plans to move into the neighborhood. The allure of Cambridge also correlates with raised rent costs. Newer and smaller start-ups like Promoboxx, an online marketing platform, see leaving Kendall Square as their only option in order to continue operation.
Plans for growth in Cambridge seem like an organic extension for the corporate behemoth. From a logical standpoint, more than 150 “Googlers” live in the vicinity. Along with the successful growth in Cambridge since its 2007 site launch, the city has been a central location for Google.
There is also the fact that prime talent stems from local schools nearby, namely MIT and Harvard. Indeed, Google has been known to situate their offices near universities: the main Mountain View, Calif. headquarters is near Stanford University. An engineering office in Pittsburgh, Penn. is close to Carnegie Mellon University.
On the subject of the Kendall Square area, Newman attests to the fact that the “Cambridge community is a great place for us to be.” While the Cambridge area offers plenty to Google, the relationship has been reciprocal. Google has expressed its affinity for Cambridge and the greater Boston area. Working closely with non-profit organizations and donating grants to the likes of Citizens Schools, Boston Museum of Science and Harvard School of Public Health, Google aims to promote the realms of science, mathematics, and education on a wider scale.
Newman insists that the Google Cambridge expansion is positive and that the company is here to stay. “I think the important take-away here is that we’re really excited to put together Google Boston and ITA into one campus that will allow us plenty of room to grow and remain in Cambridge for a very long time.”
Google is here to stay.