Microsoft has acquired HockeyApp, a mobile crash analytics tool for developers building apps on iOS, Android and Windows Phone, and plans to integrate it into the firms existing Visual Studio Online service.

“With the acquisition of HockeyApp, we will continue to build on our vision to provide industry-leading tools and services for any mobile platform through both Visual Studio and Visual Studio Online,” said S. Somasegar, corporate vice president of Microsofts Developer Division. “In the coming months, we will introduce new iOS and Android SDKs for Application Insights, based on the features of HockeyApp.”

HockeyApp offers developers crash reporting which can be easily integrated into apps, support for connecting apps to bug tracking systems and beta distribution and feedback systems.

Tools for testing apps have become increasingly popular among developers, as competition for users grows and companies realise they cannot afford the bad publicity that poor performance brings. Earlier this year, Apple bought Burstly, developers of the popular TestFlight beta testing service.

“Creating the best developer experience is key to both Microsoft and HockeyApp,” wrote the HockeyApp team in a blog post announcing the acquisition. “This includes delivering industry leading tools for the major mobile platforms: iOS, Android and Windows. We saw the potential of the added abilities and resources of Microsoft to make our platform even better.”