Local Business Buzz Tracker Acquired by Groupon

Deals and discounts site Groupon has agreed to acquire Seattle, WA-based social media analysis company Venuelabs, whose service helps local retailers track social media mentions of their brand. Terms were not disclosed.

According to Seattle-based technology news site www.geekwire.com , Venuelabs' team of fewer than ten employees will join Groupon's fast-growing Seattle office - they are already in the same building - while Groupon says it will integrate the technology into its 'Pages' service, which provides local businesses with a promotional landing page. In time, the Venuelabs service will not be available separately.

Venuelabs was founded around the turn of the century by former Jobster and Microsoft product manager Neil Crist, who will now report to Dan Roarty, Groupon's Marketplace SVP. In a statement, Roarty said: 'We're excited to welcome Venuelabs to Groupon, and we look forward to leveraging their technology to make our Pages platform even more useful and engaging with real-time content and relevant information from across multiple social channels'.

Web site: www.venuelabs.com .