Microsoft reportedly buys calendar app maker Sunrise

PanARMENIAN.Net - Software giant Microsoft is in the process of trying to reinvent itself, and part of that reinvention evidently involves acquiring startups that have created products that compete with its own. The latest acquisition is calendar app maker Sunrise, which Microsoft shelled out at least $100 million, TechCrunch reported, citing its sources.

Sunrise has a suite of calendar products for mobile and desktop users that connects with and consolidates calendars from different providers. It’s available on the iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and on the Mac App Store, as well as offering a web client.

Users can access their calendars from Google, iCloud, and Microsoft Exchange, as well as connecting to a wide range of other third-party apps. That cross-device and cross-platform support has helped it gain significant traction among users.

TechCrunch said they’ve heard Microsoft will keep the Sunrise apps alive as stand-alone products, while using some of the startup’s technology for its own future products. That’s similar to what it did with Acompli, which Microsoft acquired for $200 million. That acquisition ended up becoming a part of its most recent Outlook for Android and iOS apps, launched just last week.