Automattic Inc Expands Its Communication Portfolio with Beeper Acquisition
In a strategic move to bolster its presence in the online communication sphere, Automattic Inc, the company that operates the widely-used blogging platform WordPress.com, has made a significant acquisition. The company has purchased the innovative messaging app Beeper, which has been at the center of a contentious dispute with tech giant Apple Inc.
The acquisition, which was revealed on a Tuesday, sees Automattic taking on Beeper’s team of 27, including the app’s co-founder Eric Migicovsky. Migicovsky is stepping into a pivotal role at Automattic as the head of messaging, poised to drive the company’s expansion in this domain.
The financial contours of the deal involve Automattic shelling out US5 million to secure Beeper, as per a source privy to the details of the transaction. The terms of the deal, however, remain under wraps.
Beeper’s allure lies in its ability to provide a seamless communication experience, amalgamating various messaging platforms into a single, unified inbox. Since its beta release in 2021, Beeper has attracted approximately 100,000 users, integrating with services such as Facebook Messenger, Signal, and Slack, among others.
Migicovsky, the mind behind the pioneering smartwatch Pebble, envisions Beeper as a trailblazer in establishing an open standard for chat. His ambition is to bridge the gap between existing legacy chat networks, fostering greater connectivity across platforms.
The entrepreneur has recently been thrust into the limelight due to his confrontations with Apple over Beeper Mini, a version of his app designed to run Apple’s iMessage on Android devices. Apple’s subsequent move to block the app sparked a debate on the company’s market dominance and led to regulatory scrutiny, culminating in an antitrust lawsuit by the US Department of Justice.
Despite Apple’s hesitance to extend iMessage to Android, the company is poised to adopt RCS (rich communication services) later this year, which will enhance messaging capabilities between iPhone and Android users.
Migicovsky believes that the clash with Apple has only served to heighten Beeper’s profile, underlining the importance of understanding the company’s allies in the industry. With the acquisition by Automattic, Beeper is shedding its beta label and becoming available to a broader audience.
Automattic’s investment in Beeper is not a new development; the company had been a backer of Beeper prior to the public dispute. Migicovsky praises Automattic for its expertise in developing open-source infrastructure and positioning itself distinctly from the ‘Big Tech’ conglomerates.
The acquisition of Beeper marks a new chapter for Automattic as it continues to champion the open-source movement and diversify its portfolio in the digital communication landscape.
