Microsoft considers acquisition of developer tools maker Xamarin

Microsoft is said to have plans to acquire the start-up Xamarin. This company is involved in tools that enable application makers to develop apps that can run on Windows, OS X, Android and iOS.

That is what CRN says, which claims to have sources. According to the site, negotiations are already at an advanced stage, making it likely that an agreement will be drawn up soon. It is not yet certain whether Microsoft will opt for an acquisition; CRN states that it is also possible to opt for a large investment in the start-up.

Xamarin creates tools that allow developers to run their apps on different operating systems while working from a single codebase. Supported operating systems are Windows, OS X, Android and iOS. The start-up’s tools can be used in Visual Studio, among other things. Microsoft likely wants to integrate Xamarin’s software more deeply into its development tools for Windows and Windows Phone through an acquisition, in order to encourage developers to release apps for its operating systems.