According to TechCrunch, Microsoft has purchased what is likely the best calender app on the market for desktop and mobile.
In an article written by Ryan Lawler and Alex Wilhelm of TechCrunch on Wednesday, the two are reporting that Microsoft has acquired Sunrise Calender for more than $100 million. The article is quite extensive but the two are quick to point out that Microsoft has neither confirmed nor denied the story.
Another big cloud purchase for Microsoft
Late last year, Microsoft shocked many when it acquired the mobile email app Acompli for $200 million in an all cash deal. The move was quite shocking given that it supported a number of Microsoft’s competitors’ products. The purchase started to make considerably more sense when it became apparent that it would be integrated into Outlook for Android and iOS. Those newest versions were released just last week in the App Store and Google Play Store.
If the acquisition of Sunrise Calender turns out to be the real deal, Microsoft looks as though it intends to continue to reinvent as a company that is not afraid to acquire companies that directly compete with the Redmond, WA giant. Sunrise Calender runs on both iOS and Android as well as on Mac and PC while also offerring a web client. The program integrates numerous calenders from different providers and also supports Evernote, LinkedIn, Twitter, Trello and more. Somewhat ironically, Sunrise Calender is not supported on Windows Phones but one would guess that this will change in the near future.
Devices, services, and cross-platform apps
Microsoft has been focusing on devices and services for some time now and it appears as though they wish to continue this focus away from their core business as the maker of Windows and MS Office. For years, Microsoft missed an opportunity to market Office to iPads and iPhones but last year saw them reverse course. In fact, they released a touch friendly version of Office for iOS before making it available for Windows 10.
The startup raised around $8.2 million venture capital over the last two years and it had eight employees as of August 2014. Notable investors include: Balderton Capital, 500 Startups, Slow Ventures as well as a number of individual investors.
