Google Inc, the most-used search engine, will buy a stake in Xunlei Networking Technology Co Ltd, a Chinese peer-to-peer file sharing network operator.
"We will announce the details of the deal tomorrow," said Xunlei spokesman Jackson Zhang.
Google is reportedly partnering with Ceyuan Ventures, a Shanghai-based venture capital firm for the investment. Neither company was available for comment.
Shenzhen-based Xunlei provides a peer-to-peer file sharing network and download accelerating services. More than 80 million users have installed its download accelerating software and its websites attract more than 50 million visitors a day, the company said.
Analysts said Xunlei's huge user base could help boost Google's growth in China, where it is struggling to catch up with local competitor Baidu.com.
"Xunlei could allow Google to bundle its toolbars to Xunlei's software and websites, and thus help increase Google's users," said Tiger Hou, research director at the iResearch Consulting Group.
Google, which launched its Chinese website earlier last year, has been scrabbling for market share, and faces fierce competition from both Baidu and Yahoo.
Baidu, a local search engine, held nearly 57 percent of the market by the end of June, according to Analysys International, a Beijing-based IT research company.
In comparison, Google's share was merely around 16 percent.
Credit Suisse Group estimated that Baidu's market share would rise to 56 percent next year, almost triple Google's projected 19 percent, according to a September 28 report.
In 2004, Google bought 2.6 percent of Baidu's stake in the company's last round of financing before its share offering on the NASDAQ. Google later cashed out after Baidu's listing.
Zou Shenglong and Cheng Hao, two computer graduates from Duke University, established Xunlei in 2003.
The Shenzhen-based company is said to have raised around $10 million in its previous round of financing from IDG and Morningside Technologies, two venture capital firms.
中文：
迅雷證實(shí)將于2007年1月5日下午在北京宣布和Google建立戰(zhàn)略合作伙伴關(guān)系，會(huì)上迅雷CEO鄒勝龍將會(huì)宣布新一輪融資成功。屆時(shí)迅雷CEO鄒勝龍，Google大中華區(qū)總裁李開復(fù)和迅雷COO程浩都將出席。
消息人士透露，與Google一同注資的美國(guó)國(guó)際數(shù)據(jù)集團(tuán)IDG風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資和Morningside Asia顧問公司。
業(yè)內(nèi)人士分析稱，Google此舉是希望迅雷幫他們帶流量，也有可能通過迅雷推廣Google工具條。他說：“Google中國(guó)肯定需要某種合作，使得他們流量不再繼續(xù)下跌。”
迅雷是國(guó)內(nèi)主要的下載服務(wù)提供商，曾在2003年和2005年分別獲得IDG、Morningside兩筆風(fēng)投。迅雷是從下載軟件起家，但現(xiàn)在也進(jìn)入 P2P視頻下載市場(chǎng)。業(yè)內(nèi)人士分析Google的這次投資和收購(gòu)YouTube的情況頗為相似，“Google可能以這種曲線方式在中國(guó)進(jìn)入視頻領(lǐng)域”。
此前，業(yè)內(nèi)盛傳迅雷已經(jīng)獲得新一輪融資，投資方為Google。港臺(tái)媒體也有報(bào)道稱，李開復(fù)透露衡量購(gòu)并或投資對(duì)象的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，至少要具備技術(shù)、團(tuán)隊(duì)或是用戶規(guī)模等其中一項(xiàng)的優(yōu)勢(shì)。迅雷在用戶規(guī)模方面能符合李開復(fù)的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。
"We will announce the details of the deal tomorrow," said Xunlei spokesman Jackson Zhang.
Google is reportedly partnering with Ceyuan Ventures, a Shanghai-based venture capital firm for the investment. Neither company was available for comment.
Shenzhen-based Xunlei provides a peer-to-peer file sharing network and download accelerating services. More than 80 million users have installed its download accelerating software and its websites attract more than 50 million visitors a day, the company said.
Analysts said Xunlei's huge user base could help boost Google's growth in China, where it is struggling to catch up with local competitor Baidu.com.
"Xunlei could allow Google to bundle its toolbars to Xunlei's software and websites, and thus help increase Google's users," said Tiger Hou, research director at the iResearch Consulting Group.
Google, which launched its Chinese website earlier last year, has been scrabbling for market share, and faces fierce competition from both Baidu and Yahoo.
Baidu, a local search engine, held nearly 57 percent of the market by the end of June, according to Analysys International, a Beijing-based IT research company.
In comparison, Google's share was merely around 16 percent.
Credit Suisse Group estimated that Baidu's market share would rise to 56 percent next year, almost triple Google's projected 19 percent, according to a September 28 report.
In 2004, Google bought 2.6 percent of Baidu's stake in the company's last round of financing before its share offering on the NASDAQ. Google later cashed out after Baidu's listing.
Zou Shenglong and Cheng Hao, two computer graduates from Duke University, established Xunlei in 2003.
The Shenzhen-based company is said to have raised around $10 million in its previous round of financing from IDG and Morningside Technologies, two venture capital firms.
中文：
迅雷證實(shí)將于2007年1月5日下午在北京宣布和Google建立戰(zhàn)略合作伙伴關(guān)系，會(huì)上迅雷CEO鄒勝龍將會(huì)宣布新一輪融資成功。屆時(shí)迅雷CEO鄒勝龍，Google大中華區(qū)總裁李開復(fù)和迅雷COO程浩都將出席。
消息人士透露，與Google一同注資的美國(guó)國(guó)際數(shù)據(jù)集團(tuán)IDG風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資和Morningside Asia顧問公司。
業(yè)內(nèi)人士分析稱，Google此舉是希望迅雷幫他們帶流量，也有可能通過迅雷推廣Google工具條。他說：“Google中國(guó)肯定需要某種合作，使得他們流量不再繼續(xù)下跌。”
迅雷是國(guó)內(nèi)主要的下載服務(wù)提供商，曾在2003年和2005年分別獲得IDG、Morningside兩筆風(fēng)投。迅雷是從下載軟件起家，但現(xiàn)在也進(jìn)入 P2P視頻下載市場(chǎng)。業(yè)內(nèi)人士分析Google的這次投資和收購(gòu)YouTube的情況頗為相似，“Google可能以這種曲線方式在中國(guó)進(jìn)入視頻領(lǐng)域”。
此前，業(yè)內(nèi)盛傳迅雷已經(jīng)獲得新一輪融資，投資方為Google。港臺(tái)媒體也有報(bào)道稱，李開復(fù)透露衡量購(gòu)并或投資對(duì)象的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，至少要具備技術(shù)、團(tuán)隊(duì)或是用戶規(guī)模等其中一項(xiàng)的優(yōu)勢(shì)。迅雷在用戶規(guī)模方面能符合李開復(fù)的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。