Microsoft has acquired Solair, an Italian company whose technology is used by businesses to connect and monitor their equipment and devices — ranging from production lines to espresso machines — using cloud services.
It’s the latest move by Microsoft into the Internet of Things and the concept of an “intelligent cloud” under Microsoft cloud and enterprise chief Scott Guthrie. Solair runs on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, and the company says it will integrate the Solair technology into its Azure IoT Suite for its customers to use. Solair works with businesses in industries including manufacturing, retail, food and beverage and transportation.
“From the very start, our mission has been to help customers quickly and easily gain access to the huge benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT),” said Tom Davis, Solair CEO, in a post today. “By building our solutions based on real customer requirements that allow them to gain real value, I’m confident that Solair’s technology and talent will be able to make an important contribution to Microsoft’s Azure IoT Suite and Microsoft’s broader IoT ambitions.”
Microsoft under CEO Satya Nadella has been focusing on small- and medium-sized acquisitions, not the giant deals that became the hallmark of previous CEO Steve Ballmer’s tenure. Financial terms of the Solair deal weren’t disclosed.
