What you need to know
- Automattic, owners of WordPress, announced that it has acquired Beeper in its quest to bring better communication to users.
- Sources claim that this merger was agreed upon for $125 million.
- Automattic states that its acquisition of Beeper will roll into its plans to merge it with its recently acquired messaging platform, Texts.com.
- Beeper also announced it has launched its new, revamped messaging app on Google's Play Store today (Apr. 9) for all Android users.
Automattic, owners of WordPress, has reportedly cemented a deal to acquire the messaging platform Beeper.
According to a press release, the company states its recent acquisition of Beeper is part of its larger narrative to "push the boundaries of messaging." TechCrunch cites sources close to the matter who state the deal was made for $125 million. Automattic teases that there's more in store with its acquisition of Beeper, as the messaging platform already supports 14 different messaging services in one app.
The post adds that Automattic will look to merge Beeper's team with Texts.com, a service the company acquired late last year. This is its "next step toward the dream of combining all online conversations in a safe, secure, and effective way."
Automattic states users can expect a "streamlined" experience once the merger is completed. When it does, Texts will fall under the Beeper brand. The company adds end-to-end encryption (E2EE), a "dozen" app integrations, and more.
Automattic doesn't have an exact timeframe for users to expect its Texts and Beeper merger to take place, but it says more updates will come when its "phased plan" is ready.
During TechCrunch's conversation with Beeper's founder Eric Migicovsky, he said the eventual plan is to manage chats under its new protocol, "Matrix." The protocol is said to feature an E2EE open-source client, similar to Mastodon.
Additionally, Migicovsky commented on the acquisition, stating, "It was either time to raise more funding or find a buyer" due to Beeper's high costs.
Beeper announced that its new app on Android has finally launched on the Play Store. The new app brings a fresh design, the ability for users to modify their chat networks, full message search, and more. The post states that there isn't any support for iMessage, although the U.S. government's lawsuit against Apple, alongside FCC involvement, could turn things around.
Beeper and Apple had been at it ever since the former found a way to reverse-engineer iMessage and bring its capabilities to Android. Apple was quick to shut it down, prompting the gaze of U.S. lawmakers who wrote a letter to the Department of Justice stating the company's actions could be "anti-competitive." Resistance didn't stop as Apple soon started banning users of Beeper Cloud and Mini who used Macs.
The company stated it removed access to iMessage for users due to "spam." Beeper then turned and disabled iMessage support in Cloud, and it's not clear if it will ever be restored.
