According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has paid more $200 million to buy Topsy, a company that develops tools for analyzing tweets and Twitter traffic. December 2, 2013 2:21 PM PST Apple could automatically give users of its iTunes Radio service real-time information about songs or artists trending on Twitter, or could offer its users a wide variety of other real-time analysis, thanks to its reported purchase today of the social-media analytics firm Topsy Labs. According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Apple paid more than $200 million for San Francisco-based Topsy, which develops tools that help companies mine Twitter for sentiment analysis. Topsy frequently issues data about how information has spread across Twitter during big events such as Hurricane Sandy, or the Super Bowl. Many companies use that information to better understand how to reach current or prospective customers. Topsy's tools can reveal how often a specific term is tweeted and who is doing the tweeting. Neither Apple nor Topsy immediately responded to a request for comment. However, Apple confirmed the deal to the Journal, though it didn't offer any rationale for the deal. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time," the company told the Journal, "and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans." Although Topsy is a Twitter partner with access to the social network's "firehose," the full stream of tweets from all of the more than 220 million Twitter users, it's not clear exactly what Apple might do with Topsy. The Journal speculated that the tech giant might well be interested in bringing more real-time data about songs or artists trending on twitter.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has paid more $200 million to buy Topsy, a company that develops tools for analyzing tweets and Twitter traffic.
Apple could automatically give users of its iTunes Radio service real-time information about songs or artists trending on Twitter, or could offer its users a wide variety of other real-time analysis, thanks to its reported purchase today of the social-media analytics firm Topsy Labs.
According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Apple paid more than $200 million for San Francisco-based Topsy, which develops tools that help companies mine Twitter for sentiment analysis.
Topsy frequently issues data about how information has spread across Twitter during big events such as Hurricane Sandy, or the Super Bowl. Many companies use that information to better understand how to reach current or prospective customers. Topsy's tools can reveal how often a specific term is tweeted and who is doing the tweeting.
Neither Apple nor Topsy immediately responded to a request for comment. However, Apple confirmed the deal to the Journal, though it didn't offer any rationale for the deal. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time," the company told the Journal, "and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."
Although Topsy is a Twitter partner with access to the social network's "firehose," the full stream of tweets from all of the more than 220 million Twitter users, it's not clear exactly what Apple might do with Topsy. The Journal speculated that the tech giant might well be interested in bringing more real-time data about songs or artists trending on twitter.
