In December, Business Insider reported that Microsoft, Google, and Apple were engaged in a bidding war for home automation company id8 Group R2 Studios, but it appears that a victor has emerged from the battle. A recent Wall Street Journal article suggests that the Redmond-based Microsoft is finalizing its acquisition of the startup, and intends to incorporate its technology into the next-generation Xbox, rumored to launch in late 2013.
For the uninitiated, home automation allows users to control electronic equipment in their homes from their Android smart devices, granting access to appliances even while on the move. Interestingly, Microsoft has advertised the Xbox 360 as a media hub for the living room, but perhaps this move is a push to take over consumers' entire households. Xbox Smartglass was the first major step in creating a trifecta of connectivity between smart devices, Xbox consoles, and the living room, so it's no surprise that Microsoft is expanding its ambitions.
id8 Group R2 Studios currently offers its services to Android users, but if Apple had outbid Microsoft, we would no doubt have seen a version of its automation software tailored specifically for iOS as well.
According to the company's Google Play profile, "R2 enables residential and commercial customers to control AV, lighting, thermostats, security systems, and thousands of other products via their Android device from anywhere in the world."
More details may emerge around E3 2013, when Microsoft is expected to reveal its next gaming console. Today, Microsoft Director of Programming for Xbox Live Larry Hyrb posted a countdown on his blog which conveniently ends on June 11, the day the Electronic Entertainment Expo begins. More details to come as they become available.