Twitter reportedly seals the deal to buy TweetDeck

Rumors that Twitter is buying TweetDeck have been around long enough now that one can be forgiven for believing the deal had already happened. This morning, at least one media outlet is reporting that such is now the case.

(Update, May 25: Companies confirm the deal.)

According to CNNMoney:

Twitter has acquired TweetDeck, an application for organizing the display of tweets, for more than $40 million in a mix of cash and stock, according to sources close to the deal.

TweetDeck has been the subject of speculation about deals for months. TechCrunch surfaced reports, citing a $40 million-$50 million acquisition. The deal has yet to be announced, but papers finalizing the deal were signed Monday.

Twitter posted this non-denial denial on its public relations account last night: "For all those who might be curious, we continue to not comment on rumors."

What such a deal would mean for TweetDeck users remains unclear, of course, although it would presumably be a good thing since Twitter has been closing ranks of late and third-party apps such as TweetDeck have paid a price.

I've been a TweetDeck fan and used it as my main Twitter interface until a few months ago, when I drifted away for reasons that had nothing to do with Tweetdeck. I've been meaning to give it another go and look forward to seeing what it being part of the mother ship will bring in terms of new functionality.

That's presuming Twitter doesn't mess it up ... and that the deal is really done this time. You never know until the little bird sings.

(Update: There are others saying that they have independently confirmed that the deal is done.)

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