Apple has bought social media search and analytics firm Topsy, marking a significant investment into social networking- an area Apple has no strong presence in to date. Apple confirmed the acquisition but would not say why it bought the company, which specializes in analysing Twitter data and providing insights into current sentiment on a variety […]
Apple has bought social media search and analytics firm Topsy, marking a significant investment into social networking- an area Apple has no strong presence in to date.
Apple confirmed the acquisition but would not say why it bought the company, which specializes in analysing Twitter data and providing insights into current sentiment on a variety of topics.
The Wall Street Journal, which reported the news earlier, cited people familiar with the deal as saying Apple paid over $200 million.
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said.
Topsy competes with firms like DataSift and Gnip to figure out who is influential on Twitter, what terms are trending, and the impact of specific Twitter campaigns.
It is Apple’s second acquisition in recent weeks. Earlier this year, Apple paid a reported $350 million for Israeli 3D chip developer PrimeSense, perceived as an effort to incorporate gesture technology into its devices.
The Topsy purchase is a surprise, as Apple is not known for its forays into the world of social media.
The company’s earlier effort at social networking – the Ping music sharing service – failed to catch on with consumers.
As it confirmed the latest deal, an Apple spokesperson declined to give details of the firm’s plans with Topsy.
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose,” the spokesperson said.
However, some analysts said Apple could look to use the data analytics for a variety of purposes, not least a better placement of its products across social media.
