Microsoft acquires Italian IoT company Solair

Ever since brandishing its ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) vision and ambition last year with Windows 10 IoT, Microsoft has been rather quiet about the market, especially compare to some of its more exciting new ventures. Nothing spells commitment more than an acquisition however, and Microsoft has done just that with IoT company Solair, announces the Microsoft blog.

Founded in 2011 by Tom Davis, Solair has had five years in the IoT market, quite some time before it became the popular buzzword of today. Sure enough, the company has managed to create a great reputation and a nice portfolio of customers in manufacturing, retail, food & beverage and transportation, ranging from an Italian coffee machine makers, to factories in Japan – with their Smart Factory Advisor app.

“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.”

– Tom Davis, CEO, Solair

The acquisition should greatly bolster the capabilities of the Azure IoT team. Solair’s CEO, Tom Davis, also shares his excitement for the deal in a new post on Solair’s blog. After the acquisition, Solair’s IoT technology will be integrated directly into the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite; more information is promised to come into the future about how this will work out, so stay tuned.