Google Launches ITA Software Travel Search Product Soon

Google plans to launch the ITA software that integrates with Travel Product Search (search products flight) about a few weeks from now, according to a reliable industry sources, as reported by TechCrunch, Wednesday (07/06/2011). In April, the DOJ finally approved Google's $ 700 million acquisition of software company ITA airfare, and Google officially closed the acquisition of a few days later. The deal is being investigated as a potential to be anti-competitive for the online travel search industry, such as ITA software that is used by many rival Google in the search for tours including Microsoft, Kayak and Expedia.

Even at the initial acquisition announcement last year, Google has made it clear that he will use the ITA data to create a new search flight instrument (while also promising to honor existing agreements with partners).

One feature that is under development is a map-based search that will show the price of flights from the destination. Travelers will be able to choose where they want to fly filters, price range and will be able to access these results on a map interface. This is similar to Kayak Owned Roaming feature.

Another integration ITA will serve until the flight search results, timing and prices based on search terms and IP addresses of users. So a consumer in New York who are looking for beach holidays can see the results for a plane ticket to Florida or North Carolina.

And a clearer integration is planned that will bring the results of a plane ticket to more specific questions such as "cheap flights to Paris." While Google has started adding flights and flight routes (instead of the ITA); results will include airfare ITA data, showing how many users each flight and will be charged and you can book a flight (ie Delta, American Airlines, etc.).

The big question is how does Google make sense to enter the travel market search (with armed Software ITA) will affect its competitors. Google is a giant in the search space, so it is not unreasonable to think that the company can grab serious market share in the search trip.

As provided by the Justice Department, Google is required to continue to give licenses for ITA airfare search software into a commercial airline ticket websites "reasonable terms" and to continue to fund software development ITA at rates similar to what has been invested in recent ITA last year. Google has also given a mandate to further develop and offer products of the next generation InstaSearch ITA, which is currently under development, for travel sites, which will provide quick results are close to certain types of flexible airfare search.

And internally, Google has implemented restrictions in corporate firewalls that prevent unauthorized use of sensitive information and data collected from the ITA customers. Finally, Google is also prohibited from entering into an agreement with airlines that would inappropriately limit the rights of airline 'for seat reservations and information sharing classes with competitors Google. Settlement provides for a formal reporting mechanism for complainants if Google breaks from all of the term.

Basically, Google has stepped very carefully in the search space journey. And the company is already the target of FTC to probe the possibility of anti-competitive behavior.