Intel will not be left out of the party when it comes to being central in the mobile app ecosystem. The company today acquired a set of HTML5 development tools, originally created by appMobi and used by some 150,000 developers, and has hired staff from appMobi that worked on the product to continue to maintain it. appMobi, meanwhile, is going to forge ahead as a standalone company, focused on the remaining part of its business as a provider of cloud services for mobile applications. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition was first made public by appMobi in a letter sent out to the 150,000+ developers that use its platform. A copy of that letter was sent to TechCrunch and is below.

In it, appMobi spells out the basics of what Intel has now taken under its wing. In short, it’s a set of app creation and testing tools that cover mobile web, Windows 8 and Windows Phone, iOS, Android and more.

The HTML5 development tools acquired by Intel include appMobi’s XDK IDE, PhoneGap XDK, GameDev XDK, jqMobi and jqUI mobile development frameworks, directCanvas HTML5 acceleration, appStarter and appSnap app creation tools, OpenBuild and chromeBuild hybrid app packagers, debugMobi and testAnywhere on-device debugging tools, Mobius enhanced web browser, Windows 8/ Windows Phone 8 app templates, appLab test containers for iOS and Android, and Facebook and Twitter authentication and connection libraries.

appMobi, it appears, is getting at least part of its payment in the form of an ongoing strategic relationship with Intel. These development tools will remain tied to the cloud services that appMobi will continue to operate, which include cross-platform solutions for mobile app monetization on iOS, Android, Windows 8 and HTML5, covering both desktop and mobile.

It’s not clear exactly why appMobi, which has raised $8.1 million in VC funding to date, decided to sell this part of their business to Intel, but it is likely that the cloud portion of appMobi’s business, tied in as it is with monetizing apps and other services, may have been yielding better returns for the company. On the other hand, Intel has long been courting mobile app developers and wanting to grow its influence in mobile (both externally though projects like AppUp and of course chips, but also internally) and this gives the company one more route to connecting with them and developing those relationships. In that regard, it’s less of a strain on Intel’s balance sheet to maintain those tools.

Letter below, and below that a little video visualizing the changeover.

Dear appMobi Developers:

Today we are pleased to inform you about appMobi’s new strategic relationship with Intel that includes the acquisition of appMobi’s HTML5 development tools division and ongoing integration and availability of appMobi’s monetization and engagement cloud services.

You may not be aware that in 2012, our HTML5 developer base grew by 6X to over 150,000 and that growth rate is still increasing. We are especially proud of that growth and the fact that a powerful industry leader such as Intel has chosen to invest resources and capital to continue scaling the HTML5 ecosystem. As a top tier supporter of HTML5, Intel is ideal in this respect. We believe the combination of our HTML5 tools and services with Intel’s resources will make 2013 the “tipping point” year for HTML5.

For app developers, our relationship with Intel means an exponential increase in resources and R&D going into the tools that support cross platform development with HTML5. Intel’s strong and vocal support of HTML5 eliminates any doubts developers might have had about committing to an open, cross platform solution.

Migration of existing appMobi developer accounts and apps to Intel is seamless, following a one-time re-registration the first time a developer logs in.

The HTML5 development tools acquired by Intel include appMobi’s XDK IDE, PhoneGap XDK, GameDev XDK, jqMobi and jqUI mobile development frameworks, directCanvas HTML5 acceleration, appStarter and appSnap app creation tools, OpenBuild and chromeBuild hybrid app packagers, debugMobi and testAnywhere on-device debugging tools, Mobius enhanced web browser, Windows 8/ Windows Phone 8 app templates, appLab test containers for iOS and Android, and Facebook and Twitter authentication and connection libraries.

Going forward, appMobi continues as a strong, ‘pure play’ cloud services company, focused on advancing the HTML5 platform. The two biggest challenges facing app developers today are engagement and monetization. The appMobi cloud answers these challenges, delivering important capabilities to your mobile apps, including in-app purchasing, on-device updates, push messaging, app store analytics, social gamification, and much more.

As an appMobi developer, How will this affect me?

The short answer is that this is a great thing for you and your apps, and it validates your choice of appMobi for HTML5 development. Other than a one-time registration for Intel, there’s nothing else you need to do or change. It’s painless!

While appMobi is considered a leader in the mobile app development world, Intel is a top tier technology company, respected worldwide for its leadership and innovation. Intel now owns all the HTML5 development tools that made you choose appMobi, and they are committed to applying their resources and efforts to continue to improve and advance them. Although a few names will change, these tools will now be supported and enhanced by Intel.

As a pure-play cloud services company now, appMobi will still provide the solutions that power mobile apps across all platforms, giving your apps in-app purchasing, live updates, push messaging, gamification, app store analytics, and more. The availability and integration of our cloud services will be just as before, ensuring that you can continue to take advantage of the great engagement and monetization capabilities that appMobi has always offered for your current and future apps.

As an HTML5 developer, we hope you realize the importance of such a major industry player getting behind HTML5. It’s a huge step toward the continuing deployment, improvement, and ultimate success of HTML5.

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