A few months ago it was reported that social media software conglomerate UberMedia were in talks to buy UK-based Tweetdeck for $30 million. This would be a significant move by the group, as it would mean the combined reach of all their clients would be over a third of all Twitter users.
Last week there were also reports that UberMedia, under the guidance of CEO Bill Gross, was looking to launch its own Twitter competitor, perhaps using its apps to drag users along with it. This could have been in response to Twitter unceremoniously banning a number of UberMedia’s clients for trademark infringements and violations of usage terms a few months ago.
Twitter has obviously had enough of these shenanigans, and has apparently upper the ante, putting in a bid of $50 million for Tweetdeck.
This would seem to be broadly in line with Twitter’s ongoing acquisitions strategy – the social firm famously bought Tweetie and turned it into Twitter for iPhone, and has publicly discouraged third party developers from producing vanilla Twitter clients.
The biggest hole in their current app lineup is the lack of a desktop client. Sure, people can use the Twitter website, but Tweetdeck is more for “power” users, who want to track lists, trends and use multiple accounts concurrently.
If these rumours prove true and Twitter is able to pull Tweetdeck out from under UberMedia it could mark a turning point in the relationship between the two companies. Much like when Google and Apple went from being in a pseudo-symbiotic relationship to full-blown competitors, a Twitter-branded Tweetdeck could ruin what relationship is left between the two companies, and push UberMedia further towards launching its own service.
