Microsoft’s app spending spree continues with Wunderlist

Like a five-year-old using mum’s smartphone, Microsoft’s made yet another app purchase. The software giant has reportedly bought 6Wunderkinder, the developer behind the popular Wunderlist app. 

Wunderlist is a chart-topping app that not only allows you to create your own to-do lists, but assign tasks to colleagues or other family members. The app is one of the few truly cross-platform apps, appearing in both the Windows Phone and Windows 8 stores, as well as on Mac, Amazon’s Kindles, the various web browsers and the usual suspects. 

The app offers both free and paid-for business accounts, the latter of which may particularly appeal to Microsoft, which is attempting to build a family of apps for Office 365 subscribers. Microsoft has been making particular effort to bolster its mobile app line-up in recent months. Earlier this year it purchased the developer behind the Sunrise calendar app for a reported $100 million. Neither Microsoft or 6Wunderkinder has confirmed the new deal yet, but the Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft has agreed to pay between $100 million and $200 million for the German firm.  

It’s not clear what Microsoft plans to do with its app purchases. Sunrise was bought in February, but has continued to exist as a standalone app across various platforms – although it’s still not available in the Windows Phone or Windows 8 stores. 

It’s likely Microsoft will use the technology within the apps to enhance its own Outlook offering. Microsoft bought the email app Accompli at the end of last year, and subsequently bought out an Outlook-branded email app based on the company’s technology. Wunderlist’s to-do functions and Sunrise’s calendar features could be folded into one all-encompassing app.