According to AllThingsD, Google just scored a pretty significant hiring of the entire Milk team, including the services of Diggnation founder Kevin Rose. The terms of the deal is reported as an acqui-hire type deal, as the search giant plans to give Kevin and his staff of eight a major part in leading Google’s continuing social efforts in the future. This news comes after the Milk team’s shutdown of local recommendations app, Oink.
Sources told the folks over at AllThingsD that Google wasn’t buying Milk, but Rose and some others from the company. Thing is, no one knows what will happen to Milk once its founder joins the king of search. Also, Milk’s investors are rumored to be happy with the deal, as a price tag of $15 million to $30 million is being floated around. The price was hiked up thanks to the company’s negotiations with Facebook.
It’s hard to disagree with this hire, Kevin Rose is the kind of mind that Google needs now, especially as it tries to find its bearings against social leaders like Twitter and Facebook. The guy is great when it comes to engaging fans, he will definitely improve life over at Google+, as the social network has been criticized lately as having low engagement. Don’t be surprised if Rose is the new face of Google+.
[AllThingsD; via TC, Joi Ito Flickr]