Twitter acquires the mobile messaging company, Cloudhopper for an undisclosed sum. Cloudhopper allows Twitter to connect directly to mobile carrier networks in countries throughout the world. Twitter announced that after working with Cloudhopper for eight months, it acquires Cloudhopper which will make it easier to connect to mobile text-messaging (SMS) carrier services around the world. The two founders of Cloudhopper, which had already been partnering with Twitter, will join the company full time.
Cloudhopper’s technology powers some of the largest and most successful SMS and MMS campaigns in North America, Europe, and Africa, wrote Twitter mobile platform director Kevin Thau in a blog post. He also added “the acquisition will help us further grow and scale our SMS services.” “Twitter was inspired by SMS and we continue to embrace this simple but ubiquitous technology,” Thau continued. “In fact, Twitter’s 140 character limit was designed specifically to allow for any tweet to be read in its entirety whether you’re using a rudimentary mobile phone, or a more sophisticated Internet enabled device.” However, This is a big deal, as over 60 percent of registered Twitter accounts come from outside the US. Certainly, Twitter credits Cloudhopper for managing almost 1 billion SMS tweets per month.
In the meantime, Twitter’s mobile team is working on enhanced smartphone applications. Its acquirement of Tweetie and partnership with RIM to develop a BlackBerry app startled some independent developers who have built their own mobile clients for Twitter, but the company insists that having official mobile apps is crucial for getting new users on board. Cloudhopper was founded by Joe Lauer in late 2008 to provide mobile messaging technology and expertise to businesses in the wireless space.
Tags: carrier networks, director kevin, independent developers, joe lauer, messaging company, messaging technology, mobile clients, mobile platform, mobile team, mobile text, mobile texting, platform director, sophisticated internet, technology powers, tweetie, twitter, wireless space