Google Will Not Kill the Nik Software Photography Apps It Just Acquired

Nik Software, which was acquired by Google recently, is known to a lot of people for its mobile photo editing apps. But the company has a 17-year history with digital photo editing and makes plenty of other software very much appreciated by more professional photographers, things like Photoshop plugins but also stand-alone software.

When the announcement was made, neither Google nor Nik Software would comment on the future of the numerous products the company offered.

But it looks like the future of those products is assured, Google+ boss Vic Gundotra, who has just returned from Germany from brokering the deal, says that all of the plugins and software will continue to be made available and developed.

"I also want to make something clear: we're going to continue offering and improving Nik's high-end tools and plug-ins. Professionals across the globe use Nik to create the perfect moment in their photographs and we care deeply about their artistry," he said.

Google is mostly interested in the Snapseed app and it may not have much of a future. But the professional tools and apps will continue to be offered.

In fact, Gundotra's a Nik Software user himself, granted that may be a new thing, and he's been showing off some of his shots edited with Nik Software apps, like the one above made with Color Efex Pro 4.

Google has a poor track record when it comes to these things, so it's understandable that users were worried. Google is much more likely to shut down a company than it is to preserve its products.

That's especially true with Google+ focused acquisitions, Google wants to make its social network better and it wants people focusing on that.

The fact that the acquisition was announced by Google+'s Vic Gundotra only made it more likely that Nik Software would be assimilated. Photos are a big focus at Google+, but Google's been shutting down its other photo-related acquisitions, like Picnik. We'll see how much better Nik Software does.