Microsoft buys mobile social networking/backup company (no, not that one)

Microsoft on Thursday announced it was purchasing a company that allows you to back up your PIM data - that'd be your e-mail, contacts, calendar items, etc. - online, as well as post directly to social networking sites, such as Facebook.

No, it's not buying Dashwire, which has been a hot topic of late.

What Redmond is buying is MobiComp, who is tight with Europe's Vodafone (Verizon's parent company), and other mobile carriers with a good number of customers in Portugal and Saudi Arabia.

A direct shot across Dashwire's bow? Or Apple's Mobile Me, for that matter? Probably not just yet.

According to a Reuters report, Microsoft intends to turn MobiComp into a research and development group and keep it in Portugal, making it unclear exactly what Microsoft will do with MobiComp's technology. Microsoft already has a number of cloud services in development and is rapidly expanding its mobile portfolio.

Hang in there, Dashwire. Chin up, Mobile Me. You've probably got a good one, maybe two years if we stick to Microsoft's "development" schedule.

WinC Staff

Home to the most invested and passionate Microsoft fans, Windows Central is the next generation destination for news, reviews, advice and buying recommendations on the Windows, PC and Xbox ecosystems, following all products, apps, software, AI advancements, and accessories. We've been around for more than decade, and we take our jobs seriously. Windows Central writers and editors value accuracy and editorial independence in everything we do, never receiving compensation for coverage and never pulling punches.