World technology giant Microsoft has recently acquired a messaging-app developer that is founded by an Indian. This is because the US-based software firm aims to fortify its position in the emerging era where the power of human language combines with advanced machine intelligence. Microsoft has therefore acquired California-based Wand Labs, which is a start-up that builds messaging technology for apps. It was founded in 2013 by Vishal Sharma, an IIT-Delhi alumnus, who was previously the vice president, products at Google. The terms and conditions of the acquisition were not made public. Neither were the financial details reported.
David Ku, Corporate Vice President, Information Platform Group at Microsoft, said in a statement yesterday, this acquisition accelerates our vision and strategy for ‘Conversation as a Platform’ which (India-born CEO of Microsoft) Satya Nadella introduced at our Build 2016 conference. He also added that technology and talent would strengthen Microsoft’s position in the emerging era of conversational intelligence where we bring together the power of human language with advanced machine intelligence, connecting people to knowledge, information, services and other people in more relevant and natural ways.
Mr Sharma also reciprocated the gesture by adding that it is now an exciting time to be working in the area of semantics and conversation. He said, making experiences for customers more seamless by harnessing human language is a powerful vision and one that motivates me and my team. According to NDTV, Wand’s experience with semantics and messaging are a “natural fit” for the work already underway at Microsoft, especially in the area of intelligent agents and cognitive services.
