Google buys Garmin, could anyone see this happening?

16 days ago? Just what we need, "This traffic report is brought to you by Keurig where you can get the Keurig 3.0 at Amazon with a 10% discount if you pay using your Google Wallet."

With Google's history of predatory marketing, I would not see this as a positive for the future of Garmin. Buy up the competition and kill it as a brand.

That said, one does have to wonder what will happen with Garmin in the next year. With the Garmin / Here agreement expiring at the end of this year and Nokia trying to sell off the Here mapping product, where does that leave Garmin?

Garmin originally was going to buy Tele Atlas a few years back but TomTom was willing to pay more that it was worth and Navteq (now HERE) offered Garmin a deal on their maps that they couldn't refuse and made poor financial sense to continue to pursue Tele Atlas.

TomTom ended up paying way too much and has been a drag on them ever sense. Now that Nokia is looking to dump HERE Garmin may get a good enough deal to make it worthwhile financially to buy it.

I can't see Google buying Garmin. Not at all.

I don't think they see that as a future growth market.

Android smartphones already have an GPS capability, so I highly doubt it.

IMHO Google buying Garmin would be a terrible idea.

Google would make the GPS units able to transmit data to Google. I guess that would be ok IF you want Google to have even more tracking information on you.... Not for me.

And down would go privacy on our hardware GPS units. Google would figure out how to violate privacy there too. No thanks.

I suspect google might have the capacity to really crowd source traffic across the nation if they were to buy Garmin.

While, on the surface it might be good for GPS rerouting processes, I'm equally certain there might be some really stringent conditions associated with these products.

Can you say YUCH!

Google is evil

Get out the tinfoil hats ....

Tinfoil hats only work for Alien transmissions. Google has other more devious methods.

IMHO Google does not care about your privacy, as long as they can profit from it.

Google is NO good for anyone but "Google"

I won't even use their search engine. To say "google it" is an insult to me!

Google has the mega bucks to do what it wants, it collects data on us and uses it to its advantage. How many times has it been caught gathering personal info or directing searches to sites for it advantage. Once you get into google's archives you are there forever and that info could be used against you for profit. Ever get Pop Ups for stuff related to a search after doing a search for info, coincidence?

All of you who are so concerned about your privacy need to stop dreaming and drink a LARGE cup of coffee with some Red Bull. YOU have NO PRIVACY.

Between the government, the credit reporting agencies, medical insurance records, auto insurance records, financial institution records, internet surveillance by hackers, EVERY single bit of information about you is available to anyone with $$$$ and the knowledge of where to go to purchase it.

If Google buys Garmin I just hope it helps the stock price go up.

nor is such a maneuver of any value to current Garmin devotees.

Garmin's future lies in its own hands, and that begins with giving its current user base compelling technological reasons for upgrading their current equipment. As things stand now the company has been moving just the opposite direction: w/bells, whistles, & wearables instead of circa 2015 multi GPS/mapping/self off-grid tracking technology.

Now if GRMN made an offer for AOL Mapquest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MapQuest and renamed said technology as Garmin-Mapquest that might present some interesting business crossover possibilities and Mapquest services value to GRMN's user base.

As for GOOG buying GRMN, why buy out a competitor when you & your buddies can simply compete him out of business, then "pick & choose what U can use" from the rubble? HERE that!?

Ones they own the company Google they can do what ever hell they want with it , I just would like ask Garmin just 1 question ?

WHY WOULD YOU EVEN THINK ON MAKING A MOVE LIKE THAT

Garmin are you desperated for money ?

Not sure why Google would want Garmin, other than to kill competition. The smartphone business has greater promise than dedicated GPS mapping. Anyway, seems to me...

The day of the dedicated GPSr for the car rapidly coming to an end.

6" screens on smartphones and loads of coders buildings apps are sure signs of the approaching demise of the GPSr for the auto.

I love my Garmin and would probably never give it up, EXCEPT if Google started making GPSs. I would jump quickly over to Google. I find that Garmin's traffic, offering the best possible route and inaccurate road data sometimes hard to deal with. Though I feel Garmin is the best in the game. I still run Google Maps on my phone along with my Garmin, if I am unsure if Garmin is giving me the best route. Google is always more accurate.

I doubt Google would buy Garmin. Avionics and marine equipment wouldn't fit in the Google model. While they could afford to do so, they would need a good business plan and obtain government approval which would be a challenge.

Google bought Motorola Lenovo for $12.5 billion and sold it to Lenovo for $2.9 billion. I don't think they will buy another large hardware company.

I don't think so.

Exactly. Unless you have absolutely no government issued documents, have all your money stuffed in a mattress and pay for everything with cash, never use a smartphone or the internet, yada yada yada, you have no privacy.

with both your sentiment and your concerns. Points well-stated.

Maybe.... Google Maps is used on a lot of phones.... why not try to snap up the competitions mapping ?

I enjoy Google on my phone, but rather use the other company they bought (Waze). Using the information posted up by other users helps a lot with quicker updated information.

Nice to also hear when there is accident on shoulder/Cop too

Very bad for everyone.

I gave up tinfoil hats years ago. Now I wear tinfoil undies...

Google lost money on the transaction, but it was't the $9.5 billion the simple math would indicate. According to Forbes, the actual figure was $1 billion.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanbaptiste/2014/01/29/google-p...

I agree, I don't see it happening. Garmin has too much invested in their high end (non-auto) markets, primarily air and marine. Any sale would require Google to support those. It would be a very poor business decision for Google to even think about buying them out to kill the brand.

They are leading the way with driver-less cars... so I could see them with a vested interest in Garmin. Trust me, they would not blink twice about purchasing Garmin. We have stopped bidding for companies in certain verticals because Google drives the price up everywhere they bid.

I can see it now...buy your Google Glass (formerly Garmin) GPS now. Works in any car, while walking or geocaching.

LoL

Note: With Google Glass, you can always switch to street view for a better idea of exactly where you are. (Street view not to be used in aircraft!)

Would ruin the products and make us suffer thru advertisements. Can't fathom that it would be a good deal for end users.