Towards the end of December, you may recall a report surfaced which suggested Apple was one of three major tech players looking to acquire home automation company ‘R2 Studios.’ Alongside Apple, both Google and Microsoft were also said to be in talks with the company over its future acquisition.
Following the report, The Wall Street Journal this afternoon reports that Microsoft has in fact acquired the company for the purpose of potentially building home automation functionality into its “Xbox” media hub.
The company, id8 Group R2 Studios Inc., was created by entrepreneur Blake Krikorian in May 2011. Mr. Krikorian will be joining the Redmond, Wash., software giant with a small team. As part of the deal, Microsoft also acquired some patents owned by the startup related to controlling electronic devices.
Exact details on the amount Microsoft paid to acquire the company were not revealed, however – we’re betting it was a hefty chunk – given the company’s specialized IP held in the television space.
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