The Financial Times recently reported that Microsoft was entering into a deal to buy SwiftKey for an estimated $ 250 million.
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The Financial Times reports that Microsoft is paying around $250m to acquire Swiftkey, maker of a popular predictive keyboard installed on more than 300 million iOS and Android smartphones.
Microsoft, was famously late to the mobile game, launching Windows Phone long after Apple and Google had established themselves as the top players in Mobile.
On the other hand, seeing Microsoft purchasing SwiftKey might be a little surprising at first since the company already has its very own keyboard that’s generally referred to as the fastest in the mobile world.
More information should be provided later this week when the two companies will also announce the acquisition. Swiftkey app’s popularity skyrocketed on app charts across both iOS and Android app stores because of its singularly accurate predictive technology. The report notes that Microsoft was especially interested in the artificial intelligence team at SwiftKey, with many on the team expected to join Microsoft Research under the direction of Harry Shum. We’ve seen that happen with various apps from Microsoft Garage, so this acquisition, while surprising, does make some sense. The artificial intelligence behind SwiftKey’s keyboard may have something to do with the company’s decision, though.
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Microsoft and Swiftkey are playing it close to the chest at the moment, with neither company offering any comment on the deal. It’s highly unlikely that the company needs more keyboard apps.
