http://www.neowin.net/news/it039s-official-microsoft-acquires-swiftkey
Just recently, speculation about Microsoft purchasing keyboard developer SwiftKey have floated around the internet. This rumor comes just after the company acquired MinecraftEdu, a program helping children learn code through the game Minecraft. And in line with all this, Microsoft has now confirmed all the reports, and has officially stated that it will now purchase SwiftKey.
According to a blog post by Harry Shum, Executive Vice President of Microsoft for Technology and Research, SwiftKey's technology "aligns with our vision for more personal computing experiences that anticipate our needs versus responding to our commands," emphasizing the keyboard's use of Artificial Intelligence to improve its word prediction for users.
Shum stated further:
This acquisition is a great example of Microsoft’s commitment to bringing its software and services to all platforms. We’ll continue to develop SwiftKey’s market-leading keyboard apps for Android and iOS as well as explore scenarios for the integration of the core technology across the breadth of our product and services portfolio. Moreover, SwiftKey’s predictive technology aligns with Microsoft’s investments and ambition to develop intelligent systems that can work more on the user’s behalf and under their control.
It has not been disclosed how much the company was acquired for, an earlier report indicated that it would be in the region of $250 million.
Regarding Word Flow, its homebrew keyboard for Windows Phone which is making its way to iOS and Android, Shum stated that the company will soon announce plans on how to integrate SwiftKey technology with it.
Source: Official Microsoft Blog
Just recently, speculation about Microsoft purchasing keyboard developer SwiftKey have floated around the internet. This rumor comes just after the company acquired MinecraftEdu, a program helping children learn code through the game Minecraft. And in line with all this, Microsoft has now confirmed all the reports, and has officially stated that it will now purchase SwiftKey.
According to a blog post by Harry Shum, Executive Vice President of Microsoft for Technology and Research, SwiftKey's technology "aligns with our vision for more personal computing experiences that anticipate our needs versus responding to our commands," emphasizing the keyboard's use of Artificial Intelligence to improve its word prediction for users.
Shum stated further:
This acquisition is a great example of Microsoft’s commitment to bringing its software and services to all platforms. We’ll continue to develop SwiftKey’s market-leading keyboard apps for Android and iOS as well as explore scenarios for the integration of the core technology across the breadth of our product and services portfolio. Moreover, SwiftKey’s predictive technology aligns with Microsoft’s investments and ambition to develop intelligent systems that can work more on the user’s behalf and under their control.
It has not been disclosed how much the company was acquired for, an earlier report indicated that it would be in the region of $250 million.
Regarding Word Flow, its homebrew keyboard for Windows Phone which is making its way to iOS and Android, Shum stated that the company will soon announce plans on how to integrate SwiftKey technology with it.
Source: Official Microsoft Blog
