Google Inc. has bought a stake in a Chinese software provider as part of the company’s bid to extend its dominance beyond Internet searches to other online services.
A Google spokesman said the Internet company has made an unspecified investment in Xunlei Network Technology Co., which provides video and game downloads. The two companies plan to unveil their partnership during a news conference today.
State-owned China Daily reported yesterday that Google is joining Shanghai venture-capital firm Ceyuan Ventures to buy a stake in Xunlei, based in Shenzhen. According to Xunlei’s Web site, the four-year-old company is one of China’s largest providers of video-downloading services. The company has 54 million subscribers, Beijing Internet-research company iResearch Consulting Co. estimates.
Separately, Google China said yesterday that it was teaming with China Mobile, the nation’s largest mobile-telecommunications carrier, to provide online-search services for cellphones. The effort echoes Google’s move to offer mobile services and sell related advertising elsewhere.
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