Microsoft Acquires Talko

Microsoft has just completed a new acquisition with the purchase of Talko. With the technology and talent from Talko, a mobile collaboration and voice chat app company, Microsoft aims to provide new features and capabilities to its Skype and Skype for Business lines.

Talko was launched in September 2014, founded by Ray Ozzie with the goal of replacing conference lines with VoIP calls through the cloud. It offers features such as conversational bookmarks, user tags, and voice-based follow-ups, in addition to the usual features of VoIP calling.

While the Talko app will be closing in the next few months, the recorded conversations and other such files will remain safe. Users will be able to download the contents of their past conversations, such as text, voice recordings, and photos.

The text, voice, and video capabilities will be integrated with Skype and Skype for Business, providing more streamlined communication. As such, the Talko team will be joining Microsoft's Skype division, and will work on its communication services. Exactly which features will be introduced to Skype is currently unknown.

"It is noteworthy to see Microsoft continuing to reach out and acquire innovative companies such as Talko," says Kevin Kieller, UC Expert for UCStrategies. "Embracing technical diversity is a laudable Satya Nadella theme. And yet, two things worry me about this acquisition. Firstly, Microsoft already has many, many technologies it needs to do a better job of integrating into the bundled Office experience; and, secondly, it seems the key 'great mind' behind Talko, Ray Ozzie, is not going to be re-joining Microsoft as part of this purchase."

Talko is Microsoft's second acquisition in four days, following the purchase of Metanautix. It's also the company's 20th acquisition of 2015. The monetary cost and conditions of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

For more information, visit www.microsoft.com and www.talko.com.