Google Spent $2 BIllion Acquiring 79 Companies and Hired 8,000 People in 2011

Through a 10-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Google revealed some acquisition numbers. In 2011, Google spent just under $2 billion on nearly 80 acquisitions. And that excludes the $12.5 billion Google will be spending to acquire Motorola when the deal (pending regulatory approval) closes within the next couple of months.

The software giant's biggest acquisition was ITA Software, which Google snatched for a little less than $700 million, or roughly one-third of the year's spending. The company's 2011 acquisition activity is a substantial boost from 2010, when it spent only $1 billion on just 48 acquisitions—still high numbers, but perhaps not for Google.

On the Canadian front, Google acquired two Canadian companies last year, according to the 2011 Acquisitions Tracker. Toronto startup PushLife was acquired by Google in April for $25 million and Waterloo startup PostRank was acquired for roughly the same in June. Google says that "acquisitions will remain an important component of our strategy and use of capital, and we expect our current pace of acquisitions to continue."

Google now employs more than 32,000 people, up by over 8,000 from 2010.