Microsoft Gets New Sidekick

Microsoft is investing heavily in Mobile phone technology. On Monday, the software giant announced that it had acquired Danger Inc., the company behind popular mobile technology like T-Mobile's Sidekick.

"The addition of Danger serves as a perfect complement to our existing software and services, and also strengthens our dedication to improving mobile experiences centered around individuals and what they like," said Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach. (Source: microsoft.com)

In a statement, Microsoft said it sees in Danger a company that has "connected with a customer base that is young and enthusiastic, Internet-savvy and socially inclined." These attributes are the same that Microsoft undoubtedly saw in Facebook, the fastest growing online social network, and perhaps is its current position on rival Yahoo.

Danger is also a means to combat Google's Android platform, which recently debuted at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

As Google and Microsoft look to expand their advertising and search businesses, both companies are turning to the mobile industry. Microsoft acquired the UK-based mapping company MultiMap to help secure its position against Google's dominant Google Maps in 2007, and is hoping to absorb Yahoo to compete with the search giant by gaining the largest user base on the web.

While the terms of the deal to acquire Danger were not released, The New York Times is reporting that Microsoft doubled its offer to keep the mobile company from being snapped up by its rivals, including Google. (Source: nytimes.com)