Google buys Meebo
techcrunch.com
techcrunch.com
2 - meebo has been trying to make money via their behavioral targeting dataset: they see browsing activity of users via sites that embed their javascript and also through the plugins they get people to install in their browsers. It's a similar dataset to clearspring, which also does bt stuff. In 2011, Meebo bought mindset media which does psychometrics (eg [1]), and I'd bet the play is to marry psychometric targeting with meebo's bt dataset.
2a - the above may be meebo's value to google: experience building, selling, and a client list for psychometric targeting. This is another targeting layer that would be sold in Google+ alongside dems targeting.
3 - for the sake of the employees, I hope meebo's VCs didn't have preferred participation; that will cut up the $30mm even further. Though I bet Google will take care of the employees.
[1] RSU - Restricted Stock Unit. Unlike a stock 'option' where there is a price per share which is set at the current market price and then is only valuable if the stock goes 'up', an RSU a convertible instrument that has a nominal face value of 1.0 share of Google Stock. However it has attached to it a scaling factor which is generally tied to performance. The scaling factor can go to 0 if performance is poor or as high as 3 if performance is stellar generally. This would be similar to an 'earnout' although its more about how the employee does at the company rather than how the acquired assets perform.