Some of you may have used, or have heard of WhatsApp Messenger. It’s a pretty popular, highly rated, paid messenger application in the App Store that allows users from multiple platforms to message each other without the SMS expenses. Although the application does cost 99¢, the service is free after you pay for the application.
Facebook is now in talks of buying WhatsApp Messenger to expand its mobile user base. Facebook clearly has an interest in building a strong mobile foundation, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes note of the current state of the mobile world:
Originally Posted by Mark Zuckerberg:
The big thing is obviously going to be mobile. There are 5 billion people in the world who have phones.
Facebook certainly acknowledges that WhatsApp Messenger has a ton of users from many different platforms, and hopes to exploit this to increase their amount of mobile users. Facebook also has a messenger service of its own that can be used across multiple platforms, so it is likely that the two services would get integrated in some way if the deal went through. Some might be discouraged to use the WhatsApp Messenger service if Facebook buys them out, as many people try to avoid Facebook for privacy concerns. That being said, it's hard to discern exactly how this is going to play out.The big thing is obviously going to be mobile. There are 5 billion people in the world who have phones.
This wouldn’t be the first time Facebook has bought out another company to improve on its own – Facebook also bought out Instagram back in April for $1 Billion.
Sources: TechCrunch
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