Biz Break: Management shakeup at Google

Today: Changes afoot at Google (GOOG). Plus: Google gets into thetravel game. And: More funding for Santa Clara startup, and SiliconValley stocks.

Management shakeup at Google

Larry Page has been CEO of Google for less than a week, andalready there are signs of major changes afoot.

Last Friday, Page lit a fire under emplpyees and took clear aimat Facebook with an announcement that as much as 25 percent of all2011 bonuses will be dependant on how the company fares in itssocial media strategy. Monday saw the sudden departure of topexecutive Jonathan Rosenberg.

And late last night, word came out of the Internet juggernaut'sMountain View headquarters that Page made a major managementshakeup, promoting six senior vice presidents who will have moreautonomy over their individual product groups and report directly tohim.

Moving up the ranks are Sundar Pichai, senior vice president ofChrome; Vic Gundotra, senior vice president of social; Andy Rubin,senior vice president of mobile; Salar Kamangar, senior vicepresident of YouTube and video; Alan Eustace, senior vice presidentof search; and Susan Wojcicki, senior vice president of ads.

"The idea is to empower people, let them take risks and give themmore authority over decisions," a Google source told the Los AngelesTimes.

Blogger John Paczkowski over at the Digital Daily sees Pageconsolidating his influence over the company, much in the mold ofSteve Jobs at Apple (AAPL).

The Times reports the promotions were well-received by Google'srank-and-file, and spirits were high.

Wall Street wasn't quite as enamored, as Google shares dipped0.91, or 0.16 percent, to 579.09.

Google travel plan takes off

And what if there is a disgruntled Google employee who just wantsto get away? They may soon have an easier time catching a flight,after the government gave the green light today for Google's $700million purchase of online travel search company ITA Software.

ITA powers the search engines for such online travel powers asExpedia, Orbitz and Kayak.

Google's blog imagines the possibilities: "Type 'flights tosomewhere sunny for under $500 in May' into Google and get not justa set of links but also flight times, fares and a link to siteswhere you can actually buy tickets quickly and easily."

That has to have other travel sites sweating. The feds were warytoo; they required Google to develop and license travel software toother travel sites on "commercially reasonable terms."

$30 million in funding for Kno

It's a happy Friday at Kno -- the Santa Clara educationalsoftware startup announced $30 million in Series C financing today.

New investor Intel (INTC) Capital is pitching in with $20 millionof that, with Andreessen Horowitz, First Round Capital, FLOODGATEand SV Angels also contributing.

Kno says Intel's participation will advance the company's focuson tablet computers, and create new opportunities to make touch-based educational apps.

"We are excited," said Kno co-founder and CEO Osman Rashid in anews release. "We look forward to working together with the ultimategoal of making learning engaging, collaborative and fun forstudents."

Silicon Valley tech stocks

Up: VMware

Down: Apple, Google, Oracle (ORCL), Intel, Cisco (CSCO), HP, eBay(EBAY), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Yahoo (YHOO).

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index: Down 15.73, or 0.56percent, to 2,780.41.

The blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average: Down 29.44, or 0.24percent, to 12,380.05

And the widely watched Standard & Poors 500 index: Down 5.34, or0.40 percent, to 1,328.17.

Check in weekday afternoons for the 60-Second Business Break, asummary of news from Mercury News staff writers, The AssociatedPress, Bloomberg News and other wire services.