Report: Apple Buys Database Firm FoundationDB

Apple has reportedly acquired database software maker FoundationDB, according to TechCrunch.

The company, which specializes in NoSQL and SQL database access, recently announced plans to "evolve our company mission."

"Thank you for your support of FoundationDB over the last five years," a notice on the company forum said. "We're grateful to have shared our vision of building the best database software and we strongly value your participation in this community. We have made the decision to evolve our company mission and, as of today, we will no longer offer downloads."

Neither Apple nor FoundationDB immediately responded to PCMag's request for comment. But Apple rarely comments directly on its acquisitions, and issued its standard statement to TechCrunch: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

As the tech blog pointed out, the deal was likely designed to bolster Apple's server-side technologies for the App Store, iTunes Connect, or iTunes in the Cloud. Or, perhaps, in part for Cupertino's rumored over-the-top TV service.

The 2014 Apple-IBM alliance, however, suggests the database maker could have other long-term purposes, like finding a future FileMaker application or tool, Patently Apple said.

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ZDNet, meanwhile, offered other uses like online dating, gaming, analytics, and online marketplaces.

Virginia-based FoundationDB was founded on Jan. 1, 2009, by CEO David Rosenthal, CTO Dave Scherer, and COO Nick Lavezzo, with the promise of high-performance multi-key ACID transactions that support multiple data models.