Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) made another acquisition to improve the Android operating system. This time, the search engine giant acquired Emu, a new and unique mobile messaging app with built-in virtual assistant.
Emu uses artificial intelligence—machine learning and natural language processing to understand messages and adds important information to help users organize their schedule, share their location in real time or set reminders to do something.
The mobile messaging app works just like Siri, a virtual assistant for the iPhone and Google Now, the virtual assistant for the Android of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL).
Former Apple and Google executives created Emu
The former veterans of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Siri, TechCrunch and Yahoo! Messenger created Emu.
Gummi Halfsteinssin is a former executive of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Dave Feldman, who previously worked at AOL, Inc. (NYSE:AOL), Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) and TechCrunch co-founded Emu along with a team of experienced mobile and machine learning engineers.
Emu team confirms acquisition
The Emu team confirmed that they were acquired by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL).
In a blog post, the Emu team wrote, “Hey did you hear? We’re joining Google! That’s right! And we’re super-excited. But to focus on our next chapter, we have to close the last one. As of August 25, 2014, we’ll be shutting down the Emu app. It will no longer be available in the App Store, and existing users won’t be able to send, receive, or download messages. We know it’s an inconvenience, and we regret that.”
Technology observers suggested that the acquisition of Emu would enable Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) further improve Google Now’s capabilities beyond the contextual launcher. They also suggested that the search engine giant could potentially integrate Emu’s technology on Google Hangouts, which is becoming a primary, multi-featured center for communications on Android.
Last month, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) purchased drawElements, a firm that specializes in analyzing mobile 3D graphics. The search engine giant acquired the company to enhance Android. Technology observers speculated that the tech giant would utilize drawElements for device standardization.
