Microsoft has today announced it will acquire Intentional Software, a company that specializes in workplace productivity software. The Washington-based company is working on a platform for team productivity apps, which Microsoft will fold into its own developments. One of the most interesting aspects of this agreement is that it brings Charles Simonyi back to Microsoft. He originally joined Microsoft in 1981 and remained with the company until 2002. Simony's tenure with the company is defined by overseeing the creation of Office apps such as Word and Excel. After leaving Redmond, Simonyi founded Intentional Software. Microsoft's interest in the company has been piqued by Intentional's recent developments of productivity apps focused on teams. In its announcements, Microsoft says the purchase will the talents of Intentional Software will boost its own development. “The reality is we live in a hyper-connected world that requires the ability to collaborate across geographies, disciplines and organizations, which is why we continue to push ourselves to think about new ways to empower people,” Microsoft says. Microsoft has been taking productivity collaboration seriously in recent years. Office 365 has opened doors for organizations to manage productivity across the cloud. Additionally, the company has recently rolled out the Microsoft Teams workplace chat service.
