Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile efforts are off to a slow, almost non-existent start, so it appears as if it’s methodically taking over your current phone with another software acquisition.
SwiftKey, the predictive keyboard developer, is being scooped up by the Redmond company for $250 million (about £173m, AU$356m), according to the Financial Times.
The advanced autocorrect and next word suggestion capabilities have made the app popular on Android and, more recently, the iPhone and iPad But its sustainability has been questioned.
SwiftKey became a free with paid upgrades on both platforms when it launched for iOS 8 in 2014. Meanwhile, its chief rival, Swype, has remained higher at the top of app download charts.
Microsoft’s sneaky AI bid
Microsoft’s interest in SwiftKey is said to be a play for artificial intelligence, not and simply a bid for the app extension on over 300 million iOS and Android devices.
The push for AI has become heated among Google, Apple and other tech firms. Moreover, we know that Microsoft has been experimenting with new keyboard apps on rival devices.
This is hardly the first mobile-focused software acquisition for Microsoft, either. It’s picked up the email app Acompli, to-do list Wunderlist calendar app Sunrise, all for the benefit of Outlook.
Windows 10 Mobile phones may not be selling well, but Microsoft’s smart app suite present an attractive alternative to preloaded software, and it’s slowly becoming entrenched in our existing devices.
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