Microsoft said Wednesday it acquired British-based software keyboard maker SwiftKey, saying it would be integrated with the tech giant's "intelligent systems" for mobile devices. SwiftKey makes keyboard apps which are used on some 300 million Android and Apple devices, replacing the default interfaces with a more efficient one.
The price was not disclosed but media reports said Microsoft paid $250 million. SwiftKey, which uses artificial intelligence to help make keystrokes more intuitive and efficient, expands Microsoft's efforts in the domain.
"In this cloud-first, mobile-first world, SwiftKey's technology aligns with our vision for more personal computing experiences that anticipate our needs versus responding to our commands, and directly supports our ambition to reinvent productivity by leveraging the intelligent cloud," said Microsoft executive vice president for research and technology Harry Shum.
Shum said Microsoft would continue to make the service available on "all platforms," not just those operated by Microsoft.