Microsoft has confirmed that it is buying "advanced digital pen technology" from stylus manufacturer N-Trig. The company is behind the Surface pen and the acquisition sees Microsoft bringing more of its hardware production in-house.
The acquisition follows on from rumors that surfaced earlier in the year, and Microsoft has already been working closely with the company for several years now.
Until the acquisition, Microsoft held a share in the Israeli firm N-Trig Ltd. The pen is already used by the Surface Pro 3, and will be available for the Surface 3 which starts shipping this week. Stevie Bathiche from the Surface team envisions great things in the future:
We can't wait to show you what we'll deliver for our Surface Fans in the future. Digital pens have a ways to go to be as good as pen and paper on some dimensions, and we'll get there. But more importantly, adding the ability to capture and share the work you do with a digital pen opens up possibilities that traditional pen and paper just can't match. Today’s investment is another step that will let us push that innovation forward.