DxO acquires Nik Collection from Google and will continue to offer it for free... for now

https://www.dpreview.com/news/1675836798/dxo-acquires-nik-collection-from-google-and-will-continue-to-offer-it-for-free-for-now

Press release

DxO acquires Nik Collection assets from Google and plans to set a new bar on Photo editing softwares

PARIS – October 25, 2017 – DxO, one of the most innovative companies in consumer imaging, today announced the acquisition of the Nik Collection assets from Google.
DxO plans to continue development of the Nik Collection. The current version will remain available for free on DxO’s dedicated website, while a new “Nik Collection 2018 Edition” is planned for mid-next year.
“The Nik Collection gives photographers tools to create photos they absolutely love,” said Aravind Krishnaswamy, an Engineering Director with Google. “We’re thrilled to have DxO, a company dedicated to high-quality photography solutions, acquire and continue to develop it.”
“We are very excited to welcome the Nik Collection to the DxO family,” said Jérôme Ménière, CEO and founder of DxO. “DxO revolutionized the image processing market many times over the years with its innovative solutions, and we are convinced that we will continue to do so with Nik’s tools, which offer new creative opportunities for photographers. The latest version of our flagship software DxO PhotoLab, which is available as of now, is the first embodiment of this thrilling acquisition with built-in U point Technology.”

About the Nik Collection

The Nik Collection is composed of seven desktop plugins for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop that provide a powerful range of photo editing capabilities — from filter applications that improve color correction, to retouching and creative effects, to image sharpening that brings out hidden details, to the ability to adjust the color and tonality of images. The current lineup of the Nik Collection includes:

• Analog Efex Pro: Applies film-era camera, lens, and film simulations to digital images
• Color Efex Pro: A comprehensive set of filters for color correction, retouching, and creative effects
• Dfine: Noise reduction software for camera-specific digital images
• HDR Efex Pro: Specialized program for processing HDR pictures
• Sharpener Pro: Image sharpening for digital images
• Silver Efex Pro: Black & White conversion of images with darkroom-inspired controls
• Viveza: Selectively adjusts image color and tonality without complicated masks or selections