Dodgeball.com today announced that it has been acquired by search engine giant Google Inc. in a move that expands Google’s reach beyond search engine technology. Google, who already operates its own social networking site called Orkut, purchased this unique type of social networking site that allows users to keep in touch with their friends through SMS, a type of messaging system supported by cell phones.

The web site was created by two graduate students at New York University. The creators, Dennis Crowley and Alex Rainert, are huge Google fans and like the direction the company is taking.

“As a two-person team, Alex and I have taken dodgeball about a far as we can alone. Since we finished grad school, we’ve been trying to figure out how to grow dodgeball and make it a better service along the way. We talked to a lot of different angel investors and venture capitalists, but no one really ‘got’ what we were doing – that is until we met Google,” writes the creators of the site.

Social Networking type web sites appear to be the next big ‘thing’ online. Canadian users can join their own version of a social networking site at GetIn.ca. GetIn.ca is designed specifically for Canadians to stay in touch with friends and family.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.






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