Google's acquisition of ITA to be investigated by DOJGoogle's acquisition of ITA Software has raised a few concerns at competing travel sites, and now the Department of Justice is probing the merger to make sure it doesn't violate antitrust laws.

Google's senior product manager, Andrew Silverman, is confident that the acquisition will go through, though the investigation may cause delays. In an official blog post, Silverman wrote: "While this means we won't be closing the deal right away, we're confident that the DOJ will conclude that online travel will remain competitive after this acquisition closes. In fact, over the past few weeks online travel companies have noted that they have alternatives to ITA's product."

Among those alternatives are Expedia's Best Fare Search and Worldspan's e-Pricing search technology, both of which offer a service similar to ITA's fare finder.

"While we think this acquisition will benefit travelers as well as those seeking their business, we know that closer scrutiny has been one consequence of Google's success, Silverman continued, "and we said that we wouldn't be surprised if there were a regulatory review before the deal closes."

The acquisition of ITA, a 500-person firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, cost Google $700 million.

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