Google's 16 biggest purchases, and how they worked out

#4: ITA travel service, $700 million

AdMob/Business Insider
AdMob allows for more advertisements in more places.

Google made a $700 million bid for ITA, which compiles flight information for airlines, travel agencies -- and rival search engines. The bid garnered complaints from competitors who rely on ITA's service, but the feds eventually approved it with conditions.

#3: AdMob mobile advertising, $750 million

Android is all about increasing mobile search usage today, but Google hopes to make mobile advertising in general into a huge business. That's why it paid $750 million for AdMob in November 2009. Since then, however, AdMob execs have left -- including former CEO Omar Hamoui (pictured here) -- and sources have said the integration isn't going so well.

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