Automattic has acquired Cloudup, a file-sharing service whose mission includes the desire to make media sharing “simple and beautiful.”

This acquisition means two exciting changes for WordPress users:

1) The not-so-ideal Media Library is going to be vastly improved, and 2) Multiple people will be able to work within a post at the same time.

From an editor’s perspective, these are two major changes that should make the publishing experience on WordPress that much more pleasant and efficient. I can’t wait!

With Cloudup’s technology soon enabling multiple parties to edit at the same time, WordPress publishing can be taken to the next level. For example, editorial could be drafting the text while art department is placing images. With no need to wait your turn, production time can be quicker.

Also, Cloudup’s technology will allow for sharing a file before it’s done uploading. This way, a writer can begin viewing a photo before the photographer’s upload is complete (for example).

It’s no secret that WordPress’s media library left a lot to be desired, so this is great news for publishers of all sizes. And for bigger sites that run on WordPress, like Forbes or TechCrunch, the abilty to co-edit posts and speed up the upload process is surely going to improve workflows.

According to TechCrunch, Matt Mullenweg said that the acquisition was for talent and technology, as he’d been aware of the company’s open souce ethos and has followed CTO Guillermo Rauch‘s work for years. Mullenweg also expressed no plans to monetize on the service:

We think Cloudup is something intrinsically useful to have in the world, and Automattic’s core businesses in WordPress.com, VIP, VaultPress, and Akismet are doing more than well enough for us as a company.

No exact time frame has been released but the WordPress.com blog reveals that there is still quite a bit of work to be done. Though still in private beta, Cloudup is opening another 5,000 spots for those interested in previewing what’s to come.

Anybody going to give it a try? What does everyone think?