Twitter officially acquires TweetDeck

TweetDeck, a groundbreaking dashboard for monitoring what people are saying in real-time, has officially been acquired by Twitter. After months of assessing fundraising vs. acquisition, the folks at TweetDeck decided to “join the flock” at Twitter.

“Twitter recognizes the value in our audience, and how our products are built to serve their needs–this is a different audience than the one that uses the official Twitter services,” TweetDeck CEO Iain Dodsworth said in an interview with AllThingsD. “So our products will stay the same and we’ll continue to develop them, with obviously a more coordinated approach since we’re all one company.”

It has been suggested that this acquisition could mean the demise of one of the most popular third-party Twitter clients. However, Dodsworth promises it will continue to be a standalone product and that it will receive the investment it needs under the tutelage of Twitter.

Dodsworth added: “Change may well be inevitable, but we remain the same team, staying in London, with the same focus and products, and now with the support and resources to allow us to grow and take on even bigger challenges.”

According to CNNMoney, Dodsworth and his investors will reportedly receive more than $40 million in a mix of cash and stock.