Apple Acquires Topsy Labs Inc For Twitter Analytics

Apple would appear to be readying themselves for a full-on Twitter analyzation push if today's suggestion that they've acquired Topsy Labs Inc is true. Apple's own Tim Cook joined Twitter earlier this year while Twitter itself went public just weeks ago, turning in to a publically-traded company and eschewing forth changes that will forever reflect their status as a real-deal board-run business. With Apple appearing to look into Twitter a lot more closely with this buy, it would appear that Twitter has nowhere to go but up.

Word of this acquisition appeared today via the Wall Street Journal where it was noted by "people familiar with the matter" that the Apple buying price may have been more than $200 million USD. This purchase of the company would place Topsy Labs Inc squarely under the control of Apple and allow them the ability to keep a close eye on all things social networking from a mini-blogging perspective.

Topsy is a company that until now has offered up tools that analyze Tweets and the data that flows out from these social blips into the greater internet. Topsy is (or has been) one of only a few companies in the world with – as the Wall Street Journal suggests – the "firehouse". This firehouse is the entirety of the massive amount of Twitter posts that get posted to the service each and every day.

At the moment there's no official word from Apple or Topsy on this rumored acquisition. Topsy's most immediate competition resides in the likes of Gnip Inc and DataSift Inc, both of which also appear to have close connections with Twitter, right from the base.

"An Apple spokeswoman confirmed the deal but wouldn't comment further. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," she said without elaborating further."

UPDATE: It would appear that the Wall Street Journal also has what they suggest is confirmation of the deal having taken place, as noted above.