Apple who has not shown interest in social media, just announced its purchase of a social media data analytics firm, Topsy Labs on Monday. Apple cease not to surprise the world of the things they decide to go into.
Topsy Labs is a data analytics company, they analyze the global conversation on Twitter. Let analyze close to half a billion tweets in a day. Topsy Labs tools indexes tweets and make them searchable on Google. It also help companies analyze tweets for various business trends.
This is another surprise to customers, the purpose for the purchase was not made known. Apple’s Spokeswoman, Kristin Huguet said that “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans”.
Last month Apple purchased 3-D motion detection technology, now they are purchasing a social media analysis. Apple didn’t disclose the price of the purchase, but reports coming from the Wall Street Journal says Topsy was bought at about an estimated figure of $200 million.
Some analyst have tried to figure out the plans Apple on the purchase of this company. Below are some of their comments;
“There are millions of people sharing their thoughts on platforms such as Twitter on any given day,” Sanjana Chappalli, Asia-Pac head of LEWIS Pulse, a firm specialising in digital marketing services, told the BBC.
“For companies to be able to understand what is popular with these users and what they are interested in, and then use it to their advantage, they need to filter the content and understand it.
“Topsy gives Apple the tools to do just that,” she explained. Manoj Menon, managing director at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan added: “Brands across the world are looking at ways to use the time spent by customers on social media to enhance their brands, and Apple is no different”.
This is another huge achievement for Apple and am sure they utilize all these resources they have acquired well, just as they’ve done to their hardware.
