Microsoft said that it plans to acquire Apptimum Inc., the Sunrise, Fla.-based maker of Alohobob PC relocation software and the Migrate DT user state management engine.
Microsoft said that the Alohabob tool would be made available as an optional download for Windows Vista customers, most likely to facilitate the transfer of data between an older system and a new Vista PC. “The exact timing of the download was not disclosed.”
Microsoft has application migration features built into Windows Vista but is buying an ISV’s tool to ensure a smooth upgrade cycle for customers.
Microsoft Corp. aims to use Apptimum’s technology, which provides award-winning products, to ease the process of moving applications and settings from older Windows desktops to the Vista upgrade automatically.
The technology acquired from Apptimum is expected to be a strong complement to the transfer experience offered in Windows Vista 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.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Apptimum will dramatically extend the reach of our solutions to millions of Windows customers around the world.
We have 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.
Windows customers will enjoy a significantly simplified computer setup process, and the innovative technology that Apptimum has built will contribute to a better overall experience," said David Henrickson, co-founder and chief technology officer of Apptimum.
The Alohabob software, which has won a PC Magazine Editor’s Choice Award, shifts applications as well as settings from one PC to the next including disk partitions.
Apptimum, formerly Eisenworld Inc., was founded in 1998 and is best known for its market-leading Alohabob PC Relocator products. The first public release of a Microsoft product based on the Apptimum technology is planned to be an optional download for Windows Vista customers.
Further details about the planned Microsoft product, including the timeline for delivery, are not yet available. Terms of the acquisition were not announced.