Microsoft buys out supplier LiveLoop; services shuttered

Microsoft Corp has purchased San Francisco-based LiveLoop for an undisclosed amount, with LiveLoop announcing the closure of its services as a separate entity today.

The deal is part of a line of productivity app acquisitions by the software giant.

LiveLoop builds collaboration tools for Microsoft Office. Its first product was LiveLoop for PowerPoint, a plug-in that allows an entire team to collaborate on a document simultaneously.

According to the explanation on the website, "LiveLoop converts presentations into Web URLs that can be viewed from any computer or phone without installing any software," or using Web-hosting services for online meetings like GoToMeeting.

The notice on LiveLoop's corporate website says it will be shutting down on 24 April, but doesn't say why.

LiveLoop is backed by venture capital firms New Enterprise Associates and Columbus Nova Technology Partners.