Our favourite social media site, Facebook has announced that it’d be purchasing messaging app giant Whatsapp for US$19 billion in cash and stock.
Facebook has posted on its blog, clarifying the reasoning behind this acquisition. The post also highlights that Whatsapp will continue to operate independently and retain its brand.
Facebook explains that Whatsapp has over 450 million MAUs, with 70 percent of users active each day. In comparison, Facebook also points out that the messaging volume of Whatsapp approaches the SMS volume of the entire global telecom industry, and how it’s gaining 1 million users a day.
In a post on the Whatsapp blog, it explains:
Here’s what will change for you, our users: nothing.
WhatsApp will remain autonomous and operate independently. You can continue to enjoy the service for a nominal fee. You can continue to use WhatsApp no matter where in the world you are, or what smartphone you’re using. And you can still count on absolutely no ads interrupting your communication. There would have been no partnership between our two companies if we had to compromise on the core principles that will always define our company, our vision and our product.
Facebook currently boasts 556 million mobile daily active users and Whatsapp alone already has over half of that at 350 million.
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