Microsoft Procures Major iPhone App
Software giant Microsoft has just added another popular mobile app in its increasingly diverse technology portfolio. Recently, the company has acquired keyboard app SwiftKey as part of its long-term effort to dig deeper into the mobile sector and enhance compatibility across different platforms.
The acquisition marks the Windows maker's fourth in more than a year. This allows Microsoft to get access to the app's large user base as well as its highly coveted artificial intelligence assets according to a report by The Motley Fool.
SwiftKey is enormously popular supporting around 300 million mobile devices. The app has been available in the iTunes App Store and Google Play.
In addition, Microsoft also purchased another popular iPhone music app called Groove which also uses artificial intelligence system to auto-generate playlists for users based on their tastes and habits in an undisclosed amount.
"Microsoft acquired Zikera's Groove music app. We have nothing more to share," said a Microsoft spokesman as reported by VentureBeat.
Launched in 2009, Microsoft can now tap into the music service's 1.5 million users. The app is roughly similar to Spotify and Apply music boasting a huge song library containing 38 million songs.
Microsoft has been pretty much preoccupied with AI-focused startups, a trend seen among major tech companies in Silicon Valley. Other notable giants like Apple, Facebook, and Google are also in a hunt for startups with promising AI assets.
"Microsoft is a pretty serious business with clearly a lot going on in the AI and machine learning space," explained AI expert Azeem Azhar as reported by Business Insider.
