In the latest in a string of acquisitions, Google has purchased a small company called BlindType. BlindType announced the acquisition on its blog Friday, but the terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Before the Google acquisition, BlindType was on a mission to become the largest touch-typing software company in the industry. BlindType sought to make its way onto most touchscreen devices and operating systems by solving the challenge of typing on sensitive touchscreens without tactile feedback.
“We are excited to announce that BlindType has been acquired by Google,” the company said in a blog post. “We know that typing on your mobile device can be a frustrating experience, which is why we’ve worked hard to make touch typing easier and faster than ever — the way it should be. We’re excited to join Google, and look forward to the great opportunities for mobile innovation that lie ahead.”
A More Forgiving Keyboard
Google didn’t announce the acquisition, but has publicly confirmed it. Some observers are speculating that Google snapped up the young company as a competitive move against Apple — specifically, to keep Apple from buying the technology. Others say Google needs the technology to spruce up the Android experience.
As Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, sees it, Android’s keyboard is one of the weaker elements of the operating system. The BlindType acquisition, he said, is consistent with Google’s quest to make it easier for people to conduct searches.
“BlindType is a company that makes it easier to type. It’s more forgiving. It makes the keyboard less challenging,” Sterling said. “One of the reasons why Google has worked so hard on voice search and using the camera with Google Goggles to get information into the handset. It’s very hard for people to search queries on their mobile keyboards. Even though smartphones make…