Microsoft today said it has purchased Apptimum to prop up its Windows Vista operating system.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Microsoft said in a statement it plans to use Apptimum’s Alohabob PC Relocator products to make it a cinch for Windows customers to transfer applications to their new computers.
The Redmond, Wash., software giant also said Apptimum’s assets will be a strong complement to the Vista OS later this year.
“Our customers and partners have been asking for a much easier way to transfer their data and applications from old computers to new ones,” said Amitabh Srivastava, corporate vice president of Windows Core Operating System Development at Microsoft.
“We’ve improved this experience in Windows Vista, and as a result of the Apptimum acquisition, we will make it even easier for customers to transfer the applications that are most important to them.”
Apptimum, of Sunrise, Fla., employs 25 people. Microsoft will be hiring a number of Apptimum employees, some of whom will be relocating immediately to Redmond. Others will continue working in Florida.
Apptimum co-founder and CTO David Henrickson will work on developing core technology and products for transferring applications.
Microsoft said the first public release of a Microsoft product based on the Apptimum technology will be an optional download for Windows Vista customers.
The company revealed no further details about the product and would not offer a timeline for its release.
Apptimum is the latest ingredient adding to the soup that is Vista, the company’s highly anticipated, next-generation operating system.
Vista, formerly known as Longhorn, has been often delayed, but Microsoft promises it will be worth the wait, having something for everyone, when it appears later this year.
To wit, Microsoft last week said it plans to offer six versions of the product for consumers and enterprises.