A few days ago, Google announced having acquired Upstartle. This time another company is joining Google: @Last.

Google is expanding this way its Web services platform. @Last is the company which produced SketchUp, a software that enables people to build design concepts in 3D.

The whole story began while building the Google Earth Plugin for SketchUp. Both companies agreed on the fact that they are good for each other. SketchUp provides 3D facilities for Google Earth enabling users to view better images of geographical locations while Google takes the product to an larger number of people than @Last could.

As major portals are trying to put on the market as many facilities as possible to their users, a growing in the acquisition of small business like Upstartle and @Last is expected.

The technology provided by SketchUp is going to be used not only in Google Earth but also in other services the giant provides.

Even if the company is going to change its name to Google, the product keeps its name: SketchUp. We could imagine how people working for @Last reacted when they realized the next day that the company they are now working for is called now Google.

Even if details on the giant’s intentions related to SketchUp are somehow known, the company still hasn’t released any news on what it plans to do with Writely. Somehow the competition between Google and Microsoft is obvious as Microsoft plans to make all its software Web available.