Groupon isn't saying much on how the Uptake acquisition impacts its Expedia partnership, although its clear the acquisition could broaden the offering beyond hotels and vacation packages. Launched in 2008, Uptake is known for its social recommendation apps, data mining technologies and SEO activities as it helps inspire travelers toward finding the ideal romantic or family vacation, for instance. With Uptake and the data it collects on traveler behavior, Groupon could go beyond its email blasts based on subscribers' cities and make the offers more personal, both in email marketing and in mobile.

Groupon has a partnership with Expedia for Groupon Getaways, and has always said that travel is a key part of its growth strategy. Real Travel will cease to be operational in mid-March.

Groupon has no immediate plans to close, with its focus on social travel and helping consumers find hotels and in-destination activities, but Groupon will indeed shutter Uptake's Real Travel, acquired in November 2010. A llThingsD pegged the acquisition price at 'teens' of millions, but the full payout, with most of the Uptake team joining Groupon, is believed to be substantially more than that.

Uptake had raised some $12 million from the likes of Shasta Ventures and Trinity Ventures.

Groupon has acquired Uptake in a move that may see the deals site make good on its pledge to get more deeply involved in travel.

Groupon family getaways