Microsoft has confirmed that it has acquired popular Android app called Echo Lockscreen Creators a startup based in Palo Alto, California, which created a popular Android app called Echo Notification Lockscreen, which lets you personalize what appears on your smart device when it's in lock mode.
Microsoft has earlier launched the similar app for Android called Next Lock Screen, which promises to offer enough information and control at a glance that doesn’t require unlocking your phone nearly as much.
Microsoft's Chief Experience Officer Julie Larson-Green confirmed the purchase, and she added that it was the Company’s plan to help develop new products in improving the productivity. However, she says that the issue with the current default lockscreens on Apple, Android, and even Windows Phone is not personalized and just the list of alerts, one app at a time.
"It's a list of what apps want you to know, not necessarily what's important to you," Larson-Green says.
Android is great platform and lets rapid experimentation, as it gives developers like Microsoft a deep access to the operating system compared to Apple. Larson-Green says it’s perfect research testbed.
Microsoft is expected to make the Next and Echo lockscreens for the Windows 10, Office, and any other Microsoft products which will send out the notifications. Green adds that they would not come up with a half-baked product or user-unfriendly feature to the millions of Windows users
"You buy Microsoft for your business, you want to feel good about the products we've been building," Larson-Green says.
However, the specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the companies.
