Snapchat's Update Was Powered by Secret Acquisition

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Image: Snapchat

By Karissa Bell2014-05-02 22:43:24 UTC

Snapchat's biggest update ever was powered, at least in part, by a secret acquisition of live video software company Addlive, according to a new report.

The update, which rolled out to users Thursday, added text messaging and live video calling features to the app.

See also: Snapchat Steps Up Its Game With Sophisticated New Messaging Features

Snapchat was apparently planning this update for some time and was looking for companies that could help them develop new video features, according to a report in The Verge.

The deal was finalized several months ago, but was kept under wraps until now. The details of the deal, including how much Snapchat paid for AddLive, were unknown.

"We are excited to welcome the AddLive team to the Snapchat family," a Snapchat spokesperson told Mashable, adding that they would not be commenting further.

AddLive integrates live video, voice and text chat into various applications, according to its website.

Snapchat's update Thursday added text messaging and live video calling, but did not include voice calls. Given AddLive's expertise, it seems likely the company will consider adding the feature in the future.

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Topics: addlive, apps-and-software, Apps and Software, snapchat, Tech