14 DAY TRIAL // Twitter is said to have acquired TweetDeck, though the deal still hasn't been confirmed. The company paid up to $50 million for the app maker, in cash and stock, and the deal is expected to be completed and announced in the next week or so.
Rumors of the TweetDeck acquisition surfaced a couple of weeks ago, somewhat surprising since UberMedia was also said to have been very close to buying TweetDeck.
In fact, UberMedia had exclusivity until mid-April, but negotiations lingered allowing Twitter to swoop in and make a better offer, despite the advanced talks.
None of the companies involved are commenting on the matter, since the deal hasn't closed yet. Both TechCrunch and Reuters are confirming the deal independently though.
Back in February, UberMedia was very close to buying TweetDeck, maker of the most popular third-party Twitter client. The deal was reported as being done, but it was never announced.
UberMedia has been buying Twitter app makers and the rumor was that it was planning to launch a competitor with the help of the market share it would acquire via the apps it bought.
TweetDeck would have been a big win for UberMedia and this is likely the reason why Twitter decided to get involved. The company has bought several app makers, but it now has a complete line with most platforms offering an official app.
Twitter didn't really need TweetDeck, especially since its aimed at more advanced users and offers features not available in the web version of Twitter or any app, by design.
Twitter has said it wants an uniform experience and it's catering to a mainstream audience, not power users. While the company may have bought TweetDeck to keep it from UberMedia's hands, it will be interesting to see what Twitter does with the company and the app.