6 Microsoft Acquisitions: What Do They Mean?
Microsoft bought big data, email, and machine learning businesses on its holiday shopping spree. What will they bring to its future?
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Microsoft has been on an acquisition spree between late 2014 and the beginning of 2015, snapping up six companies in less than three months. Are its most recent investments worth their price tags?
Since mid-November 2014, Microsoft has acquired six businesses that specialize in app development, digital calendars, big-data analytics, machine learning, email, and identity-theft protection. It's clear that Microsoft is taking steps to its recognize past mistakes and plan for a mobile- and cloud-based future, and it's moving fast.
Mobile productivity is top-of-mind in Redmond. Microsoft last week rolled out a complete version of its Office suite for Android tablets on the same day it brought Outlook to mobile devices running iOS and Android. The latter was the result of its acquisition of email startup Acompli, which provided the foundation for the new email app.
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On Feb. 4, Microsoft released the preview for its mobile-compatible version of Office for Windows 10, the latest in a series of announcements that comprise its strategy to sell Office-as-a-service to both businesses and consumers. The upcoming Windows 10 promises Universal Apps that function similarly across all devices running the new OS.
To appease an increasingly tech-savvy and demanding customer base, Microsoft knows it has to pick up the pace for rolling out new products and upgrades. Could it develop these new apps and advancements on its own? Probably, but Microsoft can more easily afford new businesses than longer development time.
As it rolls out updated versions of existing products and previews new offerings in the coming months, Microsoft needs fresh, innovative ideas and capabilities. Each of the companies it has purchased in recent weeks has the potential to introduce transformative change and make Microsoft "cool" again.
Let's take a look at the newest members of the Microsoft team and at how they can contribute to its future.
Microsoft's latest acquisition is Sunrise, a developer of calendar apps. The purchase, reportedly valued at $100 million, will give Microsoft access to Sunrise's collection of calendar products that are compatible for mobile and desktop devices running iOS and Android. The suite is designed to let users access calendars across Google, Exchange, and iCloud platforms.
Sunrise's offerings will help Microsoft as it continues to support competing platforms like iOS and Android. The cross-device and cross-platform strategy built into the calendar products aligns closely with what seems to be Microsoft's vision for the future.
(Image source: Blog.GSMarena)
Revolution Analytics was founded in 2007 to capture the benefits of the rapidly growing open-source R language for statistical and predictive analysis. It's a popular language among data scientists and college students pursuing degrees in computer science. Revolution allows the R language to analyze a wealth of data across groups of computers.
Microsoft purchased the vendor to beef up its data-analysis portfolio and help more companies use both R and data science to gain further data insights through advanced analytics. There is already plenty of analytics expertise in Redmond's labs, as well as in its cloud and search businesses, but the addition of Revolution will help boost its offerings among more customers.
(Image source: Analyst One)
Just three days before it acquired Revolution Analytics, Microsoft confirmed its purchase of Equivio, a software startup producing text analysis software. Its products leverage machine-learning capabilities to automatically group related documents and sift through piles of data in order to help users find information they need. The system can be trained to quickly identify files related to specific subjects.
Although Microsoft has not confirmed it will make immediate changes to Equivio's existing technology, the company acknowledges that the system will be used to enhance the eDiscovery and information governance capabilities already present in Office 365.
(Image source: PR Newswire)
Microsoft narrowed its focus on mobile developers with its purchase of HockeyApp, a collection of apps that aims to assist developers with user feedback capabilities, live crash reports, a beta distribution platform, and test analysis that functions across iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. Microsoft had been a customer prior to the acquisition.
In a blog post detailing the investment, Microsoft indicated that HockeyApp's capabilities will be integrated into the Application Insights portion of Visual Studio Online. It might also serve as a tool for supporting rival platforms iOS and Android in app development.
(Image source: HockeyApp)
The newest version of Outlook for iOS and Android was prefaced by Microsoft's acquisition of Acompli, a software startup with the goal of improving email functionality. Its platform enables iOS and Android users to simplify email management by bringing capabilities typically used on desktops to mobile devices. Examples include the ability to view the calendar and email on the same screen and send emails for suggested meeting times.
Acompli's platform served as the foundation for the newly released version of Outlook, which is optimized for mobile devices. Users now have access to enhanced calendar functionality and email management, among other features.
(Image source: AppAdvice)
In mid-November, Microsoft confirmed its purchase of Israeli-based Aorato, which uses machine learning to find potentially harmful security risks, both in the cloud and within hybrid cloud and on-premises environments. The company was cofounded by former members of the Israeli Defense Forces.
Aorato was chosen with the idea that it would enhance Microsoft's cloud strategy. In a blog post, Microsoft officials state that Aorato will improve its ability to provide customers with strong identity and access solutions. The acquisition also draws attention to Microsoft's consistently strong focus on building its enterprise offerings.
(Image source: CyberNation)
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