Apple Snaps Up FoundationDB – Report
Technology giant reportedly purchases high performance databases specialists
Apple has reportedly purchased database provider FoundationDB LLC, although there is no official confirmation from the iPad maker.
It is not clear at this time how much money Apple paid for the Vienna, Virginia-based firm, but as Apple currently has $178bn (£117.3bn) in cash sitting in the bank, there is unlikely to be much concern at any financial impact of the deal.
Database Deal
FoundationDB specialises in high performance and durable NoSQL databases. Indeed, the company’s website touts FoundationDB as “a rock-solid, high performance database that provides NoSQL and SQL access.”
The thinking is that the deal will help Apple with its cloud-computing activities, especially with iCloud and iTunes.
Apple has made no official confirmation of the deal, but FoundationDB posted a message on its website saying it was no longer offering downloads.
“Thank you for your support of FoundationDB over the last five years,” reads the notice. “We’re grateful to have shared our vision of building the best database software and we strongly value your participation in this community. We have made the decision to evolve our company mission and, as of today, we will no longer offer downloads. If you have any technical questions, please email info@foundationdb.com.”
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Apple told Techcrunch, in response to an inquiry about the company. FoundationDB also did not apparently respond to a request for comment.
Acquisition Deals
Apple has begun to open its cheque book more often in recent times and started to make a number of acquisitions.
Last November for example, Apple reportedly acquired a cloud start-up called Union Bay Networks. But its most famous acquisition in recent times has to be that headphone maker Beats Electronics, after it agreed to pay $3bn (£1.8bn) for the company back in May 2014.
Unfortunately, that acquisition resulted in a lawsuit, after audio equipment maker Monster sued its former partner in January this year.
But Apple is known to have purchased other companies as well.
In 2014, CEO Tim Cook admitted during a Goldman Sachs conference that Apple had acquired 17 companies.
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